‘David Lang Whisper Opera’

“I have composed difficult works, which rely entirely on the musicians’ efforts and their virtuosity for their existence, an aspect that influences the listening experience. I have written concert pieces with an elaborate dramaturgy and staging and I have conceived works that elicit emotions in the people who listen to them. For Whisper Opera I changed tack however… This composition is inspired by the most infinitesimal perception, by intimacy. When the distance between the audience and the performers is too great, they hear neither the sound nor the words. The proximity of the listener-spectator, without an intermediary, without a screen, without loudspeakers, becomes a crucial element. This score cannot be recorded, nor can it be filmed or amplified. The only way to hear this work is by being there, being close enough to observe even the slightest sound and the infinitesimal.” David Lang