Getting Back Into the Groove with VALIS
MF Dynamic’s fearless leader, Maria, recently took part in a weeklong performance workshop of Tod Machover’s opera, VALIS, at MIT, led by the composer himself and director, Jay Scheib. The opera is based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, and is a science fiction fantasy that is scored for 6 vocalists, 2 instrumentalists, and a plethora of electronics. The work was commissioned in 1987 by the Pompidou Center in Paris. and since the premiere, only parts of the work have been performed in various contexts. The workshop was an opportunity for the participating artists to put the pieces together in preparation for a complete staging in December of this year at MIT.
Maria was well aware of Machover’s work, as well as the MIT Media Lab where he has served as a Professor of Music and Media, since she first came to Boston, and was particularly excited about his innovation in music and electronics. Naturally, when Machover reached out to see if Maria’d be interested in being involved in VALIS, the answer was an enthusiastic YES.
The week spent on VALIS was both rewarding and challenging. Eight hour days were spent troubleshooting the various electronic elements, determining balance between the performance components, and rehearsing Machover’s demanding music. Maria said of Machover’s music that while “..he is very steeped in the avant garde music space, he really appreciates melody, rhythm, and groove. The music is challenging, but satisfying, which is a really beautiful place to be as an audience member and a performer.” She added that in the opera you will hear “multi-metered chaos, to a beautiful lullaby, and everything in between.” Maria’s percussion set-up was massive; marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, drum machine, and quite possibly every sort of drum or accessory you can think of.
On a personal note for Maria, the VALIS workshop was her first performance gig after maternity leave, which ended up being longer than planned due to health issues. Putting a percussion part together and participating in a demanding weeklong workshop can seem intense for any working musician, so this was quite the way for Maria to return to the stage after some time off. In spite of this, though, Maria said that the experience working on VALIS was one most rewarding experiences both musically and professionally that she has had. “Everyone in the cast, the producers, the technicians, and stage managers … were the nicest group I have ever worked with, which makes an otherwise intense week incredibly gratifying and affirming.”
