Three works by
Georges Aperghis
About the program
Le corps à corps (1978)
Le corps à corps is a solo melodrama for the zarb, a traditional Persian goblet drum, and spoken voice. In the piece whose title translates to “the body to body” or “neck and neck,” our percussionist, Brian Cannady, recounts and plays out the different roles in a frenetic car race. Consumed by the physical nature of the race, the performer transforms from driver to spectator to even the car. Fittingly, the piece specifies numerous physical positions. Long periods of silence serve as freeze frames, emphasizing the cinematic nature of the piece.
Les Sept crimes de l'amour (1979)
Composed the same year Long Beach Opera was founded, Les Sept crimes de l'amour or The Seven Crimes of Love is a theatrical chamber music piece composed for a soprano, a clarinetist and a percussionist. In tense, highly charged and regulated interactions across seven distinct movements, the performers merge music, physical movement and staging. Tactile props and unconventional instrumental techniques, such as using a clarinet body without a mouthpiece or a zarb as a megaphone, underscore the dark drama. Performed today by singer Habin Kim, saxophonist M.A Tiesenga, percussionist Brian Cannady, and in her Long Beach Opera stage debut, Board President Marjorie Beale as the narrator.
Récitations (1977-78)
Récitations for solo voice highlights the vocalist’s precise approach to the notations in the score. Trapped in relentless loops that expose the rhythmic sounds of the mouth, the vocalist blends sensuality with virtuosity. A test of vocal stamina and relentless phonetic speed, Récitations pushed boundaries and transformed solo vocal repertoire. Explored here as a conversation between two performers, Coloratura soprano Habin Kim and synth-pop performance artist Geneva Jacuzzi partner to explore the broad spectrum of the human voice.
Texts and Translations
A Note on Texts
Georges Aperghis frequently explores the boundaries between language and sound, and rarely prescribes exactly what texts or musical motifs will come at which time or in what order. These works are performed mostly with nonsense syllables, with occasional words or phrases in French appearing throughout. As such, providing comprehensive translations is next to impossible. We have instead translated some of the instructions that Aperghis gives to our performers and some fragments of text that are likely to appear in performance.
The Body to body (Le corps à corps)
This work is performed in onomatopoetic syllables by the percussionist.
The 7 Crimes of Love
(Les 7 crimes de l’amour)
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Staging: All three as if after a long interrogation, pressed side by side, sitting facing the audience, with a haggard look.
Lighting: Harsh light.
Clarinet: Mute – involuntary sounds; fingers continue to run over the keys of the instrument. He stops playing because his head falls back – the clarinet stays in place – and comes back, as if the head were attached to a pendulum. Imagine that the instrument is burning hot, so remove hands immediately after playing – continue making finger movements.
Voice: Her lips continue to move, articulating imperceptible sounds. Pain in the throat; take one's breath slowly; strangled singing on the breath; chest ecstasy; chilled and tight laugh.
Percussion: His/her fingers, hands feel, run over the zarb, silent or almost.
Actions: Simultaneously, the two instrumentalists look at the singer who is between them.
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Staging: The singer, kneeling, holds the zarb above her head. The clarinetist plays into the zarb, standing to the right of the singer. The percussionist listens, ear against the zarb, and speaks into a clarinet tube at the singer's ear.
Performance Indications: Orders; Voice in the clarinet (dolce); Screamed into the instrument.
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Staging: The singer is lying across the knees of the two instrumentalists. She holds a vertical clarinet tube against her mouth. The clarinetist presses the clarinet against the singer's throat. The percussionist plays on the soles of the singer's feet.
Performance Indications: Delicate; Spoken + breath into the instrument; Wind; Altissimo (bird call / lure); Very soft; Same color as the clarinet; Raucous/shrill; All the text in a single breath; He puts his ear against the bell to listen to the singer.
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Staging: The singer is sitting and eating an apple. With one hand she holds on her knees the sheet music of the clarinetist, who is kneeling in front of her. Right behind him, the percussionist is sitting.
Performance Indications: She bites into the apple; Metal castanet / Gong; Circular motion of the castanet on the gong; Back-and-forth motion of the castanet on the gong; Aggressive; Very slow; Without vibrato; Screamed into the instrument.
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Staging: The three performers "work" on their sounds like artists who have set up their workbenches there. They do not see each other. Each is focused on their own work.
Performance Indications: Without vibrating; Multiphonic; Regular exaggerated vibrato; Sing at the same time with exaggerated vibrato; Sing → scream; Voice + breath (effort); Closed mouth (aggressive); Raucous voice; Solex moped engine; Breath + engine; Sing into the zarb; Open the mouth excessively; Imitate the clarinet; Sound + breath; Sung sound (very little clarinet sound); Only sung on the breath; Breath alone; Inhalation.
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Staging: The percussionist is seated. Facing him and standing, the clarinetist and the singer hold their clarinets on either side of his neck, drawing a back-and-forth motion (sawing action).
Performance Indications: Hard mallet / stick; Fist on the center/nipple of the gong; Back-and-forth motion (forward / backward); Spring rubbed on the gong; Rest/sigh.
Technique Notes:
* High harmonics obtained by rubbing the gong with a hard mallet held vertically, in a back-and-forth motion.
**** High harmonics obtained by rubbing the gong with a hard mallet held vertically, in a circular motion.
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Staging & Actions: Forward / backward; Motionless; He goes slowly to his place without vibrating; The singer slowly leads the clarinetist by the hand; The clarinetist kneels in front of her; She sits in her place; She raises the zarb in front of her head; He takes the singer's clarinet; His ear against the zarb.
Ending (Mute): Silent / Mute: fingers run over the keys; she places the zarb on her knees, her lips move; hands play on the gong.
Recitations (Récitations)
Récitations is performed in fragments of French. As a Francophone, Aperghis uses the sounds and shapes of these fragments to create a general sense or feeling, rather than as bits of text or poetry with a specific intended meaning.
Cast and Creatives
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Brian Cannady - Percussion
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Habin Kim - Vocalist
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Geneva Jacuzzi - Vocalist
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M.A. Tiesenga - Soprano Saxophone
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Marjorie Beale - Narratrice
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James Darrah Black - Director & MC
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Christopher Rountree - Music Director
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Prairie Trivuth - Production Designer
TEAM lbo
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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