EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 55, Issue 03 This issue's topics: ELECTRONIC OPERA (4 messages) electronic operas OPERATIC ELECTRONS (6 messages) Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1993 17:55:17 GMT From: JOEL STERN Subject: ELECTRONIC OPERA Re Michael Vitali's question about electronic opera music, I could be wrong, but hasn't Tod Machover written such things? Joel Stern Library Of Congress stern@mail.loc.gov tel:301-588-8061 fax:301-585-7642 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 12:07:07 LCL From: Michael Vitali Subject: ELECTRONIC OPERA Regarding electronic opera, Joel Stern writes: E> hasn't Tod Machover written such things? Yes, I've only heard/endured one of them, "Valis" I think. I didn't like it and was hoping there was more than just him in this field, if in fact it is a field. This seems like such an erudite, well-informed bunch, let me know if you know of others! (And thanks, Joel.) --- * Freddie 1.2.5 * I'm the operator of my pocket calculator ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 15:32:38 -0400 From: idealord Subject: Re: ELECTRONIC OPERA > > Regarding electronic opera, Joel Stern writes: > > E> hasn't Tod Machover written such things? > > Yes, I've only heard/endured one of them, "Valis" I think. I didn't like > it and was hoping there was more than just him in this field, if in fact > it is a field. This seems like such an erudite, well-informed bunch, let > me know if you know of others! (And thanks, Joel.) > Sylvia Pengelle (sp?) - British composer living in New Orleans has written several - she uses other electronic media including lasers... I've seen one - it was quite nice - not a mere extension of the European classical form - more of a mutation... There are 3 or 4 Italian electronic operas I've read about... one mentioned in a recent CMJ... Jeff Harrington idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1993 18:43:23 PDT From: metlay Subject: Electronic Opera I have a copy of VALIS. I consider owning it an obligation of some sort. I have a very hard time listening to it with any sort of enjoyment. Maybe I would have better luck with LICHT, but since Stockhausen is the archangel Michael and I am considered the Antichrist by any number of electronic musicians, there's a point of professional pride here that makes it tough. My vote for best electronic opera is THE AGE OF PLASTIC by the Buggles. Before you scoff, listen to it from end to end and think of thematic ties between the songs, and suddenly it all makes sense. -- Though we cannot see we crawl invisible/tracks that move on pylons through the sky/oh my my you are so sci fi/please will you let me ride/johnny on the monorail/johnny on the monorail/metlay/atomic city/metlay@netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1993 16:28:46 EDT From: Mark Simon Subject: Re: KINDNESS OF STRANGERS Michael Vitali asks about e-music operas. I recently read (I wish I could remember where) that Stockhausen has recently renounced the use of conventional instruments entirely and that from henceforth all his works will be scored for MIDI synths. Since 1978 he has been writing a cycle of 7 operas, one for every day of the week, called "Licht" (Light). He's so far written at least 3 of them, but I think he intends to score the last 4 for MIDI instruments. In any case, all his ` scores, including all of the "Licht" operas I've come across involve electronic apparatus of some sort and give detailed specifications as to how they're to be deployed. Of course I'm not much of a Stockhausen fan. Too European. --Mark Simon tip@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 12:07:05 LCL From: Michael Vitali Subject: OPERATIC ELECTRONS Mark Simon writes: E> Stockhausen has recently renounced the use of conventional E> instruments entirely and that from henceforth all his works will be E> scored for MIDI synths. The psychologist Alfred Adler said that all compensation (in the psychological, not financial, sense) arrives in the form of overcompensation. Sounds like Stockhausen is overcompensating for something, but God knows what. --- * Freddie 1.2.5 * Go, Europe! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 15:10:44 EDT From: Mark Simon Subject: Re: OPERATIC ELECTRONS If Mike Vitali didn't like Todd Machover's opera I doubt if he'd be able to sit very long through any of Stockhausen's. Even having read the scenarios of his "Licht" operas I haven't the foggiest idea of what he's getting at. Something about the archangel Michael, Lucifer, Eve, other cosmic archetypes. Sure beats me. Can't think of any other examples at the moment either. --Mark Simon tip@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 15:37:30 -0400 From: idealord Subject: Re: OPERATIC ELECTRONS Mark Simon continues -> > If Mike Vitali didn't like Todd Machover's opera I doubt if he'd be > able to sit very long through any of Stockhausen's. Even having read > the scenarios of his "Licht" operas I haven't the foggiest idea of > what he's getting at. Something about the archangel Michael, Lucifer, > Eve, other cosmic archetypes. Sure beats me. > Stockhausen has said in several interviews that he believes that he _is_ the archangel Michael. Stockhausen used to say that he was an alien incarnated in human form from the planet Sirius. Whatever :)----*-----(* Actually, the parts of "LICHT" that I've heard were pretty nice - a little long as always (yawn...). Jeff Harrington idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 15:02:31 -0500 From: Kirk Corey Subject: Re: OPERATIC ELECTRONS On Fri, 20 Aug 1993, idealord wrote: [excerpt follows] > Stockhausen used to say that he was an alien incarnated in human form from the > planet Sirius. *seizes opportunity to combine two threads* This makes him a minority composer, right? I mean, as the only member of Sirian society on earth, that would make his music a valuable contribution to our aesthetic something-or-other, no? Now the truth can be known. I always suspected those voices in "Gesang der Junglinge" were really extra-terrestrial (extra-terrestrial = E.T. = extended techniques, get it?) Gosh, wait 'til the Weekly World News hears about this! *runs away in a fit of caffeine-induced silliness* ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 16:05:25 -0400 From: idealord Subject: Re: OPERATIC ELECTRONS > > On Fri, 20 Aug 1993, idealord wrote: > > [excerpt follows] > > > Stockhausen used to say that he was an alien incarnated in human form from the > > planet Sirius. > > *seizes opportunity to combine two threads* > > This makes him a minority composer, right? I mean, as the only member of > Sirian society on earth, that would make his music a valuable contribution > to our aesthetic something-or-other, no? Now the truth can be known. I > always suspected those voices in "Gesang der Junglinge" were really > extra-terrestrial (extra-terrestrial = E.T. = extended techniques, get it?) > > Gosh, wait 'til the Weekly World News hears about this! SHIT! Can't your READ!!! He's Michael now... he was the alien in the 60's and 70's. But seriously, there is NO truth to the rumor that he played Spock on the pre-pre-release ST first episode. Just wanted to make that _damn_ clear. > > *runs away in a fit of caffeine-induced silliness* > Remember - OK? - he's Michael - ArchF*ckin'Angel MICHAEL - the quote was that he had come to earth to bring the vibrations of heaven to us in preparation for the global cultural changes to come... OK? GET IT STRAIGHT! Damn - glad I quit coffee this week... Jeff Harrington idealord@dorsai.dorsai.org ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1993 17:42:24 EDT From: Mark Simon Subject: Re: OPERATIC ELECTRONS Maybe Stockhausen and Sun Ra are brothers? --Mark Simon tip@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************