A Theatrical Song Cycle for Soprano & Piano
“When you are a star, they let you do it.”
In TRUE LOVE, Renske Vrolijk dissects the language of patriarchal privilege. By setting the raw, verbatim rhetoric of sexual assault and Christian Nationalism to music of deceptive lightness, the cycle exposes the horrifying seductiveness of power.
for performers and concert programmers
The Concept: A Dual Portrait
The work is constructed as a dialogue between the Male Gaze and the Female Reality. The libretto collages historical sources—from the 17th-century diaries of Samuel Pepys to the speeches of the modern American populist archetype—to tell the story of “Mary,” a woman navigating a world where “protection” is a synonym for control.
The Music: Weaponized Lyricism
Vrolijk creates a landscape of ironic dissonance. The score avoids avant-garde abstraction, instead deploying melody and tonality as a trap.
- In the opening movement (True Love), the text describes sexual entitlement (“I moved on her like a bitch”), yet the performance instruction reads “playful.” The piano lilts in a benign meter, forcing the audience to reconcile the charm of the music with the violence of the words.
- In The Janes, the piano mimics the frantic mechanical ring of a telephone, creating a documentary soundscape of an underground abortion network.
- In Powder Your Nose, the instruction “emotionless (flat)” strips the soprano’s voice of vibrato. Vrolijk depicts the visceral reality of morning sickness not as a joy, but as a physical trap. The rhythmic “retching” effects punctuate the protagonist’s struggle to conceal her condition in a workplace that demands she carry on “as if nothing happened.”
The Narrative Arc
The 45-minute cycle moves from the “grooming” phase (Virgin)—where religious purity is weaponized—to the legislative control of the female body (Bill Heartbeat). The finale marks a shift in perspective, culminating in the soprano realizing the full weight of the “Civil Action” brought against her.
It is a piece about the erosion of autonomy, written not with anger, but with a chilling, satirical smile.
The songs
1. True Love
[male perspective]
A powerful, contemporary president draws a parallel to the 17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys. Both men brag about their sexual conquests, with or without consent. For them, women are ‘playthings’ and ‘trophies’. This song sets the stage for the world in which the cycle unfolds.
2. Mother
[female perspective]
Once again, women are reduced to the roles of ‘mother’ or ‘whore.’ This song introduces the mother of Mary, the young woman whose story we follow.
3. Virgin
[female perspective]
In the puritanical culture, virginity is an ideal. Mary, having already lost hers, takes a vow of purity and declares herself a ‘Reborn Virgin’.
4. The gun in my pocket
[male perspective]
A fellow student rapes Mary. He justifies his act by claiming her ‘impure’ past led him astray.
Preview of The Gun in My Pocket by Katrien Baerts and Gerard Bouwhuis in Hertz, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht. With thanks to New Music Now.
5. Powder your nose
[female perspective]
Mary tries to carry on as if nothing has happened while struggling with the trauma. Then, she receives an unpleasant surprise.
6. Bill Heartbeat
[male perspective]
Mary is pregnant and considers an abortion. Doctor Bill makes it clear this is unacceptable; a pregnancy is a gift from God.
7. The Janes
[male perspective]
Mary flees from the clinic. Doctor Bill launches a hunt, not just for her, but especially for the feminist activist group ‘The Janes’ that is helping her.
8. Rejoice
[female perspective]
After ‘The Janes’ are punished, Mary is captured. She is forced to carry her pregnancy to term, after which her baby is taken for adoption. She is sentenced to years of penance for her sins.
9. True Love
The first song is repeated with full energy. The cycle of power, abuse, and oppression begins anew.
For performers
Year:
2023
Duration:
45′
Instruments:
S, pf
Premiere:
True Love (2018)
The gun in my
pocket (2024)
Commission:
Free work
With support
Performing Arts
Fund NL
Category:
vocal
Language:
English
Lyricist:
Renske Vrolijk
Are you interested in performing this work? Please contact my publisher.
Renske’s sheet music
is published by Deuss Music.
For performers
Year:
2023
Duration:
45′
Instruments:
Ms, pf
Premiere:
—
Commission:
Free work
With support
Performing Arts
Fund NL
Category:
vocal
Language:
English
Lyricist:
Renske Vrolijk
Are you interested in performing this work? Please contact my publisher.
Renske’s sheet music
is published by Deuss Music.
Inspiration
The inspiration for the True Love song cycle came from soprano Bauwien van der Meer. In 2018 she was the creator of the project Fantastic Women:a performance with the stature of a song recital (vocals and piano) and the vibrancy of a variety act. My contribution True Love spurred further investigation into oppressive and influential fundamentalist religious movements, particularly the Christian Nationalist movement in the United States. Within this movement—much like many orthodox movements—women’s rights are not necessarily regarded as synonymous with human rights.