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{{a|otto|{{image|The Chasm to America|png|''O! Great Yawning Chasm To The New World'' {{vsr|1886}}}}}}{{br|Der Kampf um Talente}}, sometimes performed in  Italian as {{br|La Lotta Per Attrarre Talenti}} (“[[The Struggle To Attract Talent]]”), is an unfinished operetta by winsome Austrian librettist and amateur composer Otto {{buchstein}}. Never performed in his lifetime, or for that matter since, a fully-formed script was recovered from his belongings in the opium den in Mandalay where he spent his last, fevered months.
{{a|otto|{{image|The Chasm to America|png|''O! Great Yawning Chasm To The New World'' {{vsr|1886}}}}}}{{br|Talentdämmerung}} (lit., “[[twilight of the subject matter experts]]” and subtitled “Der Kampf um Talente” or “[[The Struggle To Attract Talent]]”), is an unfinished opera by winsome Austrian librettist and amateur composer Otto {{buchstein}} intended to be the culminating work in his {{br|Form und Substanz}} cycle.  
 
Never performed in his lifetime, nor for that matter since, a fully-formed script was recovered from his belongings in the opium den in Mandalay where he spent his last, fevered months.


There is some controversy about its provenance: some point to the self-interested work of {{Buchstein}}’s life-long antagonist {{jerrold}}, anxious to boost his consultancy fees.  
There is some controversy about its provenance: some point to the self-interested work of {{Buchstein}}’s life-long antagonist {{jerrold}}, anxious to boost his consultancy fees.  
===Synopsis===
===Synopsis===
It is Venice in the 1890s. The mercantile markets are in disarray: there are brigands on the Silk Road, pirates around the Barbary Coast, and the arrival of bankers from the new world is threatening the profitability of the Venetian families. Queen [[Provocatoria Presuntuosa|Provocatoria]], head of the Presuntuosa family of Padua, summons a council of her closest advisors. Times are tough, she announces. She will hand over control of the family’s fortunes to whomsoever can demonstrate their strategy for adapting to the new environment.


The Queen’s inner circle comprises: [[Complicatio]], who is responsible for the books and records; [[Ingraziatore]], who looks after the firm’s best [[senior relationship manager|clients]] [[Norma Regolamenti]], who is in charge of compliance, and the hapless [[Triago]] the [[general counsel]].
==== Act I ====
It is Venice in the 1890s. A [[Crisp-packet blowing across St Mark’s square|crisp packet]] blows across St Mark’s Square. Complicatio and Regolamento hurry to the reception room of the Presuntuosa family having been summonsed by its head, [[Provocatoria Presuntuosa|Provocatoria]], a minor Venetian noble. Complicatio and Regolamento are part of her [[council of counsel]] — a kind of star chamber of her closest advisors — to plan the firm’s survival.
 
{{quote|{{Dkt complicatio introduction}}}}
 
The mercantile markets are in disarray: there are brigands on the Silk Road, pirates around the Barbary Coast, and the arrival of venal bankers from the New World is threatening the profitability of the Venetian families.
 
Following an embarrassing upset with the firm’s major client, Archewellgos, the Queen calls in her head banker, Infernalio.
 
{{Quote|{{dkt nothing from nothing}} }}
 
“Our supply of gold ducats, once the envy of the world, is dwindling. I shall hand it over to those of you who can demonstrate their strategy for adapting to the new environment.”
 
The Queen’s [[counsel council]] comprises: [[Complicatio]], who is responsible for [[Operations|workings of the firm]]; [[Ingraziatoro]], who looks after the firm’s best [[senior relationship manager|clients]], [[Regolamento]], who is in charge of [[compliance]], and the hapless [[Triago]], who is [[general counsel]]. Also present is [[Jeremiah Nuncle|Nuncle]], the Queen Provocatoria ’s diminutive special advisor — a sort of roving minister without portfolio, and [[Inclusivia Liberatardia]] from the [[personnel]] department.
{{quote|
{{dkt division of funds}}}}
 
[[Ingraziatoro]], who speaks in [[buzzword]]s, complains that with insufficient quality salespeople to build the franchise bands of roving mercenaries are picking off the firm’s most lucrative trade routes and diverting traditional riches to the Americans. There is but one thing for it: we must pay these roving mercenaries to bring the trade back to our firm! Provocatoria asks Ingraziatoro where he got the idea from. He got it from McKinsey.
{{Quote|
{{dkt Ingraziatoro struggle}}}}
 
[[Complicatio]], accompanied by his personnel manager [[Inclusivia]],  presents his plan to change: a programme to relocate the firm’s operations to [[Proverbial school-leaver from Bucharest|Bucharest]], to outsource those than cannot be transplanted to [[Don Inago Montega]], a local [[celery peddler]] who supplies cheap labour under water-tight [[service level agreement]]s. This, he assures the Queen, will instantly save thousands of ducats.  [[Jeremiah Nuncle|Nuncle]] and Inclusivia snipe at each other throughout [[Complicatio]]’s windy speech. Queen Provocatoria asks Complicatio where he got the idea from. He says it was Ingraziatoro. Provocatoria: And Ingraziatoro, let me guess? He nods sheepishly and says McKinsey.
{{Quote|
{{Dkt outsourcing plan}}}}
It transpires that [[Pillochio]], former functionary from Complicatio’s division has defected to a new-fangled competitor deploying homunculi
 
{{Dkt pillochio plot}}
 
 
[[Regolamento]] has acquired a “[[Legaltech|homunculus]]” machine to surveil and ensure compliance with rules and procedures at a fraction of the cost, and with far greater speed and accuracy than humans can do. <ref>There are many aspects of the plot that, in passing, borrow from {{Buchstein}}’s other works, notably ''[[La Vittoria della Forma sulla Sostanza]]'', which featured a similar “Homunculus”.</ref> Queen Provocatoria asks [[Regolamento]] where he got the idea from was it McKinsey, by any chance? No! protests Regolamento. It was from a Conflittio, a secondee in his department — who on further enquiry turns out to have been seconded from McKinsey.
{{Quote|
{{Dkt regolamenti homunculus}}}}
 
==== Act II ====
No sooner has [[Ingraziatoro]] wasted all the firm’s resources on useless investment bankers, he returns to [[Provocatoria]].
{{quote|
{{Script|Ingraziatoro}}: Good Queen, your humblest servant is beset around <br>
By fiendish trials of others’ making. <br>
Our staff are furious. <br>
These new fancy-pants are lording their great riches over everyone <br>
But they have not brought in any new business. <br>
In fact, they are making it hard for us to keep the business we already have. <br>
And now our own loyal staff are  leaving. <br>
We must therefore raise their salaries to match the new mercenaries!” <br>
{{Script|Provocatoria}}: We must ''what''? <br>
{{Script|Ingraziatoro}}: We must compete! This daily war for talent is intense. <Br>
The necessary investment is immense. <br>
{{Script|Nuncle}}: Cometh down the man, cometh down the hour? <br>
Cameth I down in the latest shower?}}
 
===Highlights===
===Highlights===
Most famous rousing aria, accompanied by the string section playing “piccolini” — literally, “tiny violins”; shortened violin-type instruments specially-designed by {{buchstein}} for this opera<ref>An idea later taken up by, among others, Wagner, who invented his own “[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_tuba Wagner Tuba]” for the Ring.</ref> — comes when Prepostero, senior managing partner of [[magic circle law firm|Magic Circle]] firm ''Slaughter Cowards Later'' stands upon a white cliff overlooking jagged rocks of the tempestuous ocean between Albion and the New World, shaking his fists and wailing into the chasm:
Most famous rousing aria, accompanied by the string section playing “piccolini” — literally, “tiny violins”; shortened violin-type instruments specially-designed by {{buchstein}} for this opera<ref>An idea later taken up by, among others, Wagner, who invented his own “[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_tuba Wagner Tuba]” for the Ring.</ref> — comes when Prepostero, senior managing partner of [[magic circle law firm|Magic Circle]] firm ''Slaughter Cowards Later'' stands upon a white cliff overlooking jagged rocks of the tempestuous ocean between Albion and the New World, shaking his fists and wailing into the chasm:
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===The “More With Less” Aria===
===The “More With Less” Aria===
Another memorable moment is when Prepostero, having been told by his major client’s [[general counsel]] [[Triago]] that the firm’s reserves are depleted and he will have to economise on external legal spend. Prepostero peremptorily snuffs out the candles and exits his client’s chamber. “I shall be the judge of that,” he roars. “Whose hand controls the whip, dost though think? Surely you don’t think it is you?” He spits, before leaving poor Triago distraught on the floor, from where he embarks on the beautiful, lachrymal aria ''Dovremo Solo Fare Di Più Con Meno'' (“We shall just have to do more with less”) only to be interrupted by the court jester Triago, listening from a nearby window, who snipes sardonic rejoinders to each of Triago’s complaints.
Another memorable moment is when Prepostero, having been told by his major client’s [[general counsel]], [[Triago]] that the firm’s reserves are depleted and he will have to economise on external legal spend. Triago protests but Prepostero peremptorily snuffs out the candles and exits his client’s chamber with these harrowing words:
 
{{quote|
“Whose hand controlleth the whip, Triago? <br>
Surely, thinkest not thou it is ''thee''? <br>
Mend thy juridical footsteps, re-cut your cloth. <br>
Remember who approves your salty bills. <br>
It is me.” <br>}}
 
He spits, before leaving poor [[Triago]] distraught on the floor, from where he embarks on the beautiful, lachrymal aria ''Dovremo Solo Fare Di Più Con Meno'' (“We shall just have to do more with less”) only to be interrupted by the court jester Nuncle, listening from a nearby window, who snipes sardonic rejoinders to each of [[Triago]]’s complaints.


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{{ref}}
{{ref}}
{{c|Büchstein Operas}}
{{c|Form und Substanz cycle}}
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