Mélodrame

Complete Work Title: 

Mélodrame


Performance Medium: 

solo contrabass and intermedia environment (see below for details).


Movements: 

I. Soliloquy: analyst coaxes actress
II.   a) Confrontation des timbres vertes; yet
       b) Intervention of societal privileges; still
       c) Return of forgotten values; now
III. Heinrich Schenker passes a stone (jig)
IV. Theme & Variants
       a) he preys upon the contradictions of his limited stature
       b) ...then indulges in hypercritical paranoia
V. The aquiescence of Suzy Solidor:
       a) she is taunted by demons
       b) somnambulistic rite (wafer-bitch)
VI. Colloquy: pandering to the whims of their captors,


Duration: 

c.15:00


Dedication: 

to Michael Hartt


Date Composed: 

December 1988 - August 1989


Performance Information: 

• The intermedia “environment” requires a harpsichordist (on stage), 2 percussionists (stationed at the rear of the performance space), 5 performance assistants (planted throughout the audience), a girl, and 1-2 technical assistants. Required equipment includes 2 spot lights, 3 strobe lights, digital delay unit, 3 television sets with video cassette players, 1 large-display digital clock, and a 10-foot rain gutter.
• The performance assistants play a variety of small percussion instruments, including electric buzzer, police whistles, airhorn, woodblocks, party horn, squeak toy, balloon, paper bag, wooden switches, duck call, whoopie cushion, bird whistle, pop gun, etc.
• Only the solo contrabass should be included in the printed program, although the other performers may be credited as “assistants”; however, under no circumstances should the instruments themselves be specified.


Performance History: 

Michael Hartt, solo contrabass; with Jennifer Peterson (harpsichord), Bruce Hamilton, Katrina Cessna (percussion), Steve Belans, Sean Harvey, Paul Surowiak, Phillip Adams, Heidi Dietrich Klein, Joseph Klein, William Kleinsasser, Estelle Hammond:
• 25 June 1990, Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) — "Music of Our Time" Festival [premiere]