New Vilna Review Editor Daniel Levenson's recent interview with composer Tod Machover asked wonderfully probing questions that elicited thoughtful, revealing replies. It's a long interview, and we thought readers would enjoy seeing them in a "Q&A of the day" format. Here is question 1: NVR: You recently participated in an event sponsored by the New …
New Vilna Review Q&A with Tod Machover
Message from Tod: "I thought you might enjoy this new interview that just got posted. The editor of the New Vilna Review was at the event I participated in last month with Robert Pinsky and followed up with these questions. I enjoyed this opportunity to talk about my Jewish roots, something that I haven't really …
Andrew Porter reviews Death and the Powers
The distinguished music critic Andrew Porter has published his review in Opera Magazine of Death and the Powers, which he saw at its Monaco premiere last September. Porter has followed composer Tod Machover's work for decades and brings a wealth of knowledge about Tod's work and the history of opera generally to this review. In …
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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 …
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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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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Opera News reviews Death and the Powers
The venerable Opera News has just come out with its review of the world premiere performance of Death and the Powers. Critic Stephen J. Mudge lauds the production for providing "an evening of captivating electronic invention." He seems particularly taken with the "soaring finale for Miranda, marvelously sung by soprano Joélle Harvey, and the witty …
Latest press on Death and the Powers
Here's some recent press about Death and the Powers: a review by Frank Langlois from Opéra Magazine (Paris) and an excellent article from Brazil's Revista Galileu. We'll get them translated into English, but in the mean time, you can download the PDFs. Enjoy! Opéra Magazine Review of Death and the Powers (pdf) Revista Galileu - …
Opera of the Future 