CAPTCHA
for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano
Written: 2013/2018
Duration: ca. 16'
Instrumentation: mezzo-soprano and piano
World Premiere: American Modern Ensemble, Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano, Blair McMillen, piano, Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, New York, NY, USA, April 26, 2018.
Publisher: Bill Holab Music
Also available as a version for soprano and piano and baritone and piano.
PROGRAM NOTE
CAPTCHA originated with an assignment I was given as a participant in the American Opera Projects (AOP) Composers & The Voice program. Throughout the year, we wrote a variety of arias and songs and were given various "challenges." Some of the challenges included using no more than four lines of text, using found text, using prose, and also trying to avoid the passagio (a term used in classical singing to describe where different voice ranges cross over, for example, where the chest voice and head voice cross). I neglected to incorporate any of the challenges into previous pieces, and I only had one song or aria left, so I had to incorporate all of the remaining challenges into a single piece.
For found text, I decided to use CAPTCHA texts. The term CAPTCHA (for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart) was coined in 2000 by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University. A CAPTCHA is a program that protects websites against bots by generating and grading tests that only humans can pass. For example, humans can read distorted text presented as a graphic, but current computer programs cannot. To find interesting words and phrases, I spent many tedious hours in front of my computer loading CAPTCHA texts. Actually, what I ended using are reCAPTCHA texts, which are derived from a free version of CAPTCHA that uses combinations of real words from scanned books that need human confirmation and gibberish text.
I initially wrote one song entitled CAPTCHA for baritone and piano, but later decided to compose an entire song cycle that incorporates the original song. Each songs uses a few key words (the few that are actually real words and phrases) as a springboard. I attempt to phonetically interpret the other words and phrases that don’t make sense, infusing emotion where none exists. Ultimately, my goal is to create an emotionally moving experience, despite the nonsensical nature of the words.
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CAPTCHA
for Mezzo-Soprano and Pianoduchenp fled
duchenp fled; cens Overtanc
ruralso Yea; political arofun
1782, guilded; icserve incredulous
alfari weeps; Devillu nounHenry folutch
Henry folutch
meitcha who
officers ispelec
cruel Otauten
capture mancisea
captured iturnp
blood hreerdi
Ancipart glasscemaeve armed
varialla approaching
invasion essiGen
people toxless
odomentr power
higoopa 666youJusto nicely
youJusto nicely
position. patchedi
Cherry iscibili
yenvis touching
Erectheum avoional
Fillatio founded
sfunclu gigantic
pectsOR weighty
Feervid LENGTH
appears Flackl
Improper ericsia
galord short
consequence veybordWhenRus comes
riahot face
bring towelsVoix gustroor
Voix gustroor
voice niionss
MUSICAL alengus
harmonic nstryfl
lieder riousMos
irohom songs
songs, wsxfolotbuglehorns uldogne
shown pothead
cranial cialArc
toIndit conduct
cantsak ACTING
calumny alsolocalled awspes
Sinfonie ngtinPe
mezzo rtsFUS
Dreamland ernowbt
draem sppollSecretary metadon
Secretary metadon
she cartell
AND usedmeni
admitted splenseWILLIAM workorse
octache barbarous
rapedat treason
thou Crustoplawastty REBECCA
courcte expression
operations naturE
TIRESOME ostpterPetsra has
orsrans charcoal
Pesistri charcoal
heckdin soulorypeue Robert
Wslykmi Robert
oongled ROBERT
idDirct ROBERT
apparently cDumber
Inviews theeranentri pronounces
SEVEN atthats
respecting tusMore
uropley END.— Texts by CAPTCHA (2012-13) via Project Gutenberg. Arranged by Robert Paterson. Texts in the public domain.