Many of Opperman’s scores and parts can be found here, for free, for both study and performance. In return, we ask is that you let us know if you are planning a performance of one or more of Opperman’s works so we can add it to the Events calendar.

Gen-Ebulous
White Willow
Johannah
The Porpentine (small)
Telepathy on Mars?

During a luncheon with his friends in 1950, scientist Enrico Fermi asked, "Where is everybody?" in regards to the lack of evidence regarding extraterrestrial life in the universe. Science and mathematics tell us there are approximately 100 billion suns in the Milky Way Galaxy. Therefore, there should be, even at a small fraction, at least thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Earth-like planets in the galaxy capable of sustaining intelligent life. Assuming the probability that the Earth is not the most technologically advanced civilization in the galaxy and the fact that it would be possible to colonize multiple solar systems given 5 - 50 million years, even if traveling at the comparatively low rate of light speed, it is paradoxical that we have had no proven contact with interstellar civilizations. Physicist Carl Sagan, among others, have opined that one possible solution may be the tendency for advanced civilizations to destroy themselves, either through nuclear or biological annihilation, or due to climate change or other planetary calamities. However, for our purposes today, we ask not what kinds of beings these aliens would be, but what kind of music would they make?

Tales from the Bizarro World (2013)

for a capella chamber choir or small choral ensemble, approx. 6 min.

World premiere performance by Ekmeles at Rutgers University - October 26th, 2013

Score

Loosely based on the early 60’s Tales from the Bizarro World comics created by Jerry Siegel and John Forte (and owned by DC Comics), this opera-in-miniature explores a music lesson far out in space in the square-shaped Bizarro World. “Us hate beuaty! Us love ugliness!” they declare as Bizarro-Lana learns to become the worst, and therefore the best, singer in the whole school, for which she is awarded the coveted Blue Kryptonite. Along the way are plenty of jokes that will have 20th century music history buffs laughing in their seats!

According to Opperman, “Of all the jokes in the piece, the absolute funniest is the idea that two different vocal ensembles have given incredible performances of this work. First, Ekmeles, and then C4: the Choral Composer Collective. Apparently, as off-the-wall and challenging as it is, it is also very fun to put together and sing.”

Composition V (2016)

for flute, clarinet, and cello, approx. 6 1/4 min.

I. Shades of Beige
II. Longest, Blackest Scarf
III. Spider Yo-Yo
IV. Dancing Mimic
V. Hooded Stick Thinker

World premiere performance by the Meraki Chamber Players at Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY - April 21st 2016

Score | Flute | Clarinet | Cello

This work was commissioned by the Meraki Chamber Players as part of their debut season celebrating the famous paintings by Wassily Kandinski. It has five short movements, each about a specific part of Kandinski’s painting and each composed using different aleatoric methods. Once the procedures were laid out, the solutions were rolled by chance using The Musician’s Dice for the pitch information and polyhedral dice normally utilized in table-top role playing games for the rhythmic information.

“I wanted to use experimental compositional techniques to complement Kandinski’s experimental painting techniques,” says Opperman. “What was interesting to me was how much control the composer actually does have when creating music this way. The procedures I designed had a much greater impact on the overall feel of the piece than any of the individual dice rolls, and there are many, many other decisions that go into a piece besides picking notes and rhythms including dynamics, phrasing, and orchestration.”

Aphrodite Nights (2009)

for gourd tree, approx. 2 1/2 min.

World premiere performance by Chris Opperman at the
Harry Partch Institute at Montclair State University -
December 2009

Score