about
For this project there was gathered a virtual group of vocalists (both professionals and amateurs) from all around the world. With the help of internet, amongst the vocalists there were distributed simple scores consisting of „number notation” and performance instructions. These scores were vocally interpreted, recorded and sent back to composer on CDs, mp3 files, mini-discs and audio cassettes. All these recordings were carefully selected, edited and mixed into a so-called “virtual choir” which became the main, most characteristic element of the whole „Antiradical Opera” project. Instrumental part was composed and recorded later as an accompaniment for the voices.
Libretto of „Antiradical Opera” was written by American poet Jesse Glass and it brings us to the American Civil War era’s Newspaper Wars. The main story is on the editorial battle between Joseph Shaw, editor of the Carroll County Democrat , and Charles W. Webster, a columnist for The American Sentinel. Shaw had opined on April 6th, 1865, that the country would be much better if Abraham Lincoln (that time president) had died. Lincoln was shot on April 14th. The day later, when the news reached Shaw, he left his hometown - Westminster. That night a concerned citizens’ committee destroyed Shaw’s printing offices and on April 24th , when he returned to Westminster, he was killed the same day.
Jesse Glass is professor of American literature and history at Meikai University in Japan. He is the author of The Passion of Phineas Gage (West House/Ahadada),Gaha Noas Zorge (Poetry/ Performance Texts) and Lost Poet (Plays). Performances of his poetry are featured at UBU-Web and Penn-Sound, among other venues.
All the documentation of the collaboration between Arturas Bumšteinas and Jesse Glass is part of special collection at the University of Maryland Libraries.
credits
from
HEAP OF LANGUAGE,
released January 1, 2010
Libreto by Jesse Glass (Japan).
Performers: Kyrre Bjørkås (Norway), Ceyda Karamursel (Turkey), Grytė Pintukaitė (Lithuania), Jonas Sakalauskas (Lithuania), Juha Valkeapää (Finland), Tom Winter (Germany), Charles Krutzen (Germany), Hugo Maia (UK), Gosia Kus (Poland), John Troyer (USA) and La La Band from the National Theater School of Canada – voices; Paco Balbuena – electronic sample, Vaida Pasarevičiūtė- flute, Šarūnas Jankauskas - clarinet, Roman Repin - trumpet, Tadas Žukauskas - violin, Alexei Bliznin - guitar, Arturas Bumšteinas - piano.
Recorded in various locations around the world throughout 2001-2003.
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