VOX HUMANA (2004)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2004

Abstract

For orchestra and pre-recorded media VOX HUMANA explores what may be the most human and honest of all voices - THE CAT (domestic house cat, lion, tiger, cougar, Mongolian Steppe Cat, etc.). The pre-recorded tape (manipulated cat / tiger / lion vocalizations) begins in the middle of the piece and increases in volume, frequency and activity - as the house lights gradually dim to total darkness - the orchestral musicians continue playing in the dark (via memorized musical fragments). Meanwhile, the audience had been encouraged (before the start of the piece) to leave their cell phones on, and take any calls that arrive ... At the end, the glow of hundreds of cell phone lights (in the total darkness) fuses with lion sounds (the cat meow has morphed into a lion's roar) and the quiet musical elements from the orchestra in the dark, as many of the orchestral musicians get up and wander the stage while playing their fragment (and/or talking on their cell phones) .... the piece ends (6:30) when the conductor receives a phone call and simply answers: "Hello ??" .... The philosophical and analytical / interpretative implications are everywhere ....

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Copyright © Michael Schelle, all rights reserved.

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