Mélodrame
Mélodrame
solo contrabass and intermedia environment (see below for details).
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,
c.15:00
to Michael Hartt
December 1988 - August 1989
• 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.
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]
audio excerpt (mp3)
Movement IVa (pp. 38-43), recorded 25 June 1990, Indiana University; Michael Hartt, et al.
video recording (Quicktime movie)
Performance recorded 25 June 1990, Indiana University; Michael Hartt, et al. (Video recorded and edited by Nora Dial.)




