In the Beginning
Priscilla McLean
About this work:
An electronic avant-garde operatic "symphony" for one singer/vocalist, tape, live digital processing, and interactive video processing on an art video of the ocean by J.J. Jannone, ”In the Beginning” has been composed for The McLean Mix by Priscilla McLean as a natural extension of her recent nature-influenced music. A fascination for ancient creation myths has led to this dramatic collage of myths from ancient Babylonia, Greece, Chaldea, and Hindu, Arunta, Zuni and Occiental cultures depicting the unfathomable variety of lifeforms arising from our ocean beginnings at the dawn of time. Through the use of a dazzling array of Priscilla McLean's vocal sounds recorded and performed on the ASR-10 Sampling Synthesizer, coupled with her live voice processed during the performance by Barton McLean, the texts and music come to life and combine in thought-provoking and evocative ways, beginning with a bone-chilling primal birth scream, and ending with a similar scream which seems to evoke the cry of whales deep in the ocean...
“In the Beginning there was no sun,no moon, no stars. All was dark, and everywhere there was only water” (ancient Maidu belief). The composer’s voice is used for all but one or two taped sounds. McLean’s sampled voice is stretched over several octaves, and ranges from choir singing to percussive and extended vocal effects, while the live voice, processed by echo and delays, creates a virtuosic display of its own. This work can be performed by a soprano willing to work with the composer, and who is familiar with live electronics and has access to a sound engineer and basic equipment (video is not a necessity).
Year composed: 1995
Duration: 00:15:24
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Solo Voice with One Non-keyboard Instrument
Instrumentation: ,1 Soprano soloist(s), ,1 Prerecorded Sound (Tape/CD/Other) soloist(s), ,1 Computer/Laptop soloist(s)
Instrumentation notes: Optimal performance is with taped and live interactive video