It seems that the world of music and technology have collided once again, resulting in an up and coming new “fad” known as voiceless opera.  Imagine sitting in a theater, anxiously anticipating the world debut of a critically renowned post-modern opera.  As the curtains open and the lights fade, the stage appears to be vacant of any signs of life.  It seems that the only sign of life is that being projected from a large screen, placed center stage.  The screen displays pictures which represent a given text, such as a set of poems, while the “soundtrack” consists of purely electronic/computerized effects, no actual singing is involved.  Hence, the voiceless opera!  As one composer of this genre, Willie David Fastenow, puts it, “It seems that with an opera that the text and the setting are very programmatic. It’s there to tell a story, it’s there to get something across and the voice is featured. And that was paramount to this as well. The text was very important to the piece in the same way; it held the same importance as in the treatment of an opera. But instead of having song, I had the technology sort of sing it, or produce the text.”  I think this is an interesting point, because the music and text within an opera are inseparable.  It will be surprising to see the type of reaction this new fad generates. 

To view an excerpt from Mr. Fastenow’s voiceless opera “Lifelines,” visit the Sound and Technology Blog!