Overheads: In preparation for this week’s class, we spoke about Soundscapes and did a short soundwalk around campus.  Here are the slides from that class: Soundscapes

Karlheinz Stockhausen, a String Quartet movement from his multi-day theatrical experience Licht.  The Wikipedia entry on this opera cycle is very comprehensive.

 

R. Murray Schafer Princess of the Stars from his theatrical cycle Patria. This piece is to be performed on a lake at dawn. The full cycle of theatrical works can be explored here at Patria.org

 

 

John Luther Adams on his piece Inuksuit for 9-99 percussionists

 

A more “traditional” opera: John Adams Dr. Atomic, aria sung by the character Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer (sung here by Gerald Finley)

You can watch the whole opera “on demand” at the Metropolitan Opera.

 

Finally, how do you write an opera about the internet? Or with the internet as a character? Nico Muhly tried in Two Boys. Here are 2 videos, one an introduction to the opera, the other excerpts so you get a sense of what it sounds like.