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.