Hephaistos – a loudspeaker-opera (1997)
Opera for 40 loudspeakers, robotspeakers, computercontrolled moving speakers, three singers, div computers , etc.
The loudspeaker is alive and moves along while singing, the loudspeaker in the spotlights. An opera performed by loudspeakers.
The loudspeaker does not function as a transducer, a medium, but the loudspeaker is the direct source.
The story takes place on the bottom of the sea, very deep, with the dashing of the inner ear, in the fluid of the cochlea. Hephaistos, the blacksmith, developes himself on the bottom of the sea as a real artist.
Scenery : wires-seaweed and speaker-coralreefs.
This opera has been performed in Amsterdam, 11+12 december 1997.
Libretto: Jan van der Mast
regie: Henri van Zanten
met: Hans Vandenburg, Karin Jönsthövel en Ellen Bouwmeester
techniek: Jan Panis, Aart Braun, Roy Schilderman
Ad van Dongen – sound programmer
dekor/kostuums: Pauline IJlst
recorded musicians: Esther Apituley en Paul Pleysier
productie: Soo Bosman