Singularity

(2019–2021)

a space opera for young voices

libretto by Tom Holloway

commissioned by Bayerische Staatsoper

first performance

Theodore Platt - eB

Andrew Hamilton - B

Andrés Agudelo - eT

George Vîrban - T

Yajie Zhang - eM

Daria Proszek - M

Juliana Zara - eS

Eliza Boom - S

Klangforum Wien

conducted by Patrick Hahn

5/6/2021 » Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich

durata » 85′

Bärenreiter BA 11192-72

Cast (every character has two voices, one real and one digital as in the future, everyone can be connected with everyone by their head implants and send directly sound messages represented by the e-voices) real people B Baritone - a gamer S Soprano - his GF, an early updater T Tenor - living alone with his comfort drone M Mezzo - having a broken heart their digital selves eB Baritone eS Soprano eT Tenor eM Mezzo Sc Screeny — a computer of the spa who goes from being broken (noises of the sampler coordinated with screen light on/off), over writing letters on fully functional screen first (without sound), getting an automated computer generated voice (prerecorded text-to-speech through sampler), becoming the display for B's programming, later getting the voice of eSoprano (live performed backstage, amplified through Screeny's loudspeakers), finally going back to writing only and after uploading itself into the Singularity, being only a silent countdown display (the numbers visible for the audience) Ensemble sampler/electronics (one player or distributed freely among other players) flute (piccolo, bass flute) clarinet trumpet horn trombone accordion piano (2 vibrators**) percussion 1 (marimba, ratchet, hobbyglas* small & large, 2 vibrators**) percussion 2 (vibraphone, bass drum, hobbyglas* small & large, 2 vibrators**) e-guitar violin viola cello doublebass * transparent polystyrene sheet 2mm, small 250x500mm, large 50x100mm ** with independently controllable speed and rhythmical patterns