Green aria, a scent opera : Works & process at the Guggenheim
Stewart Matthew (Author), Christophe Laudamiel (Designer), Nico Muhly (Composer), Valgeir Sigurðsson (Composer), Neal Goren (Moderator), Mary Sharp Cronson (Producer), Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Green aria is a multi-sensory performance that combines music and scents. The creators of the scent opera speak about the genesis of the project, how each collaborator became involved and their creative processes. The composers discuss how they responded to the precise timing of the libretto, in which each character is portrayed by a scent, how they selected the instruments to correspond to the scents, and how writing the score was similar to writing for film. Perfumer Christophe Laudamiel speaks about the technical challenges involved in delivering the scents to the audience. The panelists speak about the structure of the libretto and the relationships between different sensory perceptions. Matthew explains to the audience how to interact with the scent apparatus. A full performance of Green aria follows; portions of the opera have no visual component
DVD Video, English, 2009