"Machover is a remarkable composer. [His] technological inventions in giving to sounds, through electronics, new sonorities, new eloquence, have been widely and amply acclaimed. But I'd like to stress what a good opera composer he is, bringing the ‘traditional’, necessary skills to a far from traditional work. Machover has a command of expressive vocal gesture. …
The Economist: Inventing the opera of the future (video)
The Economist has published an excellent article "A technology maestro," about Tod Machover's work at the MIT Media Lab. The magazine's web site includes an excellent video documentary. In the documentary, Tod explains how the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band motivated him to explore technologies that could bring the complexity and richness of …
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New Scientist interviews Tod Machover
There's an excellent interview with Death and the Powers composer Tod Machover in the current (December 18, 2010) issue of New Scientist. In a conversation with journalist Ada Brunstein, Tod describes how he developed the concept for "disembodied performance technology" to bring the animatronic set of the opera to life. He explains how he applied …
Robert Pinsky interviewed about Death and the Powers
The New Vilna Review interviews poet and librettist Robert Pinsky on the theme of death and immortality in Death and the Powers, the character of Simon Powers, and the role Jewish identity plays in his life. Read the full interview here.
Musical America’s yearly directory lists Death and the Powers
Hey, Death and the Powers received a terrific placement in the big yearly Musical America directory. We don't think this is available online, so here's a scan of what it looks like. Yay! Are you planning to go see Death and the Powers in Boston or Chicago? MusicalAmerica (pdf download)
Article about Death and the Powers in German magazine
A terrific and technical article about Death and the Powers is appearing in the December issue of Buhnen Technische Rundschau, the German technology magazine. The article was written by David Staples, who is Managing Director of Theatre Projects, Ltd. the world's most prominent firm for designing performing arts centers. Tod met him years ago when …
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New Vilna Review on Machover and Pinsky evening
Tuesday evening's "I Sing the Body Electric" event, featuring composer Tod Machover, former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Pulitzer-winning music critic and poet Lloyd Schwartz, garnered an enthusiastic write-up by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM, publisher and editor-in-chief of the New Vilna Review. The disucssion centered on the new opera Death and the Powers, composed …
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U Penn Talk – Music, Mastery, and Memory
Tod Machover will be delivering a talk for the Penn Humanities Forum tomorrow on the topic of "Music, Mastery, and Memory." He'll be speaking about technological innovations he has spearheaded to open the doors of musical expression to people who traditionally have been excluded. Pre-registration required. Details here. When: 8 December 2010 from 5:00–6:30pm Where: …
Jewish Advocate: Dec. 7 Event with Tod Machover and Robert Pinsky
There's an excellent feature article in the current issue of The Jewish Advocate describing tomorrow night's program with poet laureate Robert Pinsky and composer Tod Machover. The event, titled "I Sing the Body Electric", is sponsored by the New Center for Arts and Culture and will take place at 7:30pm on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, …
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2010 World Technology Award for the Arts
What a delightful surprise! We just learned that Tod Machover was awarded the 2010 World Technology Award for the Arts. According to the World Technology Network's web site: "These Award winners and finalists are those individuals (in 20 categories) and companies/organizations (in 10 categories) who -- in the opinion of the WTN Fellows and Founding …
Opera of the Future 