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SYNOPSES OF "THE TEARS OF OPHÉLIE"

Charnie Guettel

It is the year 2080, and four singers have come into the possession of a box of music manuscript, papers, and artifacts
from a little known jazz composer from the 20th century, Ophélie. The box contains most of the surviving hard copy of the composer’s
life work: a grand autobiographical 3 act ‘bar opera’, “The Tears of Ophélie” four one act bar operas: ‘Hypothèse’, ‘La Science’, ‘Moise’,
and ‘Boppie’: numerous recordings, two theoretical music harmony books, essays, notebooks, poetry chapbooks, and political and
philosophical writings. Just as Ophélie named herself after Shakespeare’s defeated ‘Ophelia’, in order to create a ‘counter
Ophelia’ through her own work, the singers in 2080 come to understand how each of them personally and artistically connects to
characters developed in the operas, and name themselves after Ophélie’s characters. Did Ophélie lead a failed rebellion of the world’s
backup singers, or was it all in her mind? And does it make any difference which is true? Perhaps the operas are messages to singers
in the future, just as the compositions are vehicles for continuing the work that Ophélie began.
Ophélie spent her life inventing compositional forms, charts, vocal
and harmony techniques to enable jazz singers to revoice complex chords among themselves in the moment of performance, as do jazz
instrumentalists. The singing process is so different from the instrumental playing process, that this project requires a departure
from many of the conventions assumed necessary among musicians and singers, and the invention of radically different compositions and
conceptual “spaces” for singers.
“The instrument of chord conscious harmony is three or more chord conscious singers, hey nonnie nonnie nonnie”, cryptically remarks
Ophélie.
Just what “chord conscious singing” is becomes the tantalizing mystery that drives the four singers to produce Ophélie’s operas,
re-examine their thoughts and beliefs, and become their own voices.

https://www.facebook.com/events/460692447319628/ 

• • 

    Wednesday, March 27, 2013
  • 

    7:00pm

• Charnie Guettel, composer, vocals Martin Kuwawi, jazz guitar, Ted Peters, trombone and Kevin Cato, alto sax, You are invited to the premiere performance of Act Three of “The Tears of Ophélie” A ‘Bar Opera’ by Charnie Guettel A ‘bar opera’ is a constellation of music and dialogue structures invented by the composer to expand harmonic performance possibilities among stage musicians and singers in the jazz idiom: song studio method, second melody, chord conscious vocal harmony, 12 part line moving, laminated dialogue, and other devices to free the performers from the constraints of conventional orchestration. On March 27, 2013 in the third floor performance space of Glad Day Bookshop 598a Yonge St, Toronto ($10 admission) 7:00

moments from charnie guettel's "Ophélie" chorus four 

Study for Maria Callas: Music Video #50 © charnie guettel aug 22 2009

Three Visitors, Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Carson McCullers #49 Charnie Guettel Music Video

Charnie Guettel Music Video #48 Colazione in giardino (after Monet)

Hello Mr Stern!! Remember Me?? #47 © charnie guettel aug 4 2009

in the stillness of an august morning #46 ©charnie guettel august 3 2009

"Fuzzy Memories" #45 music video © charnie guettel july 31 2009

modern blues you wear a tutu and i'll wear a tux #43 july 14 © charnie guettel music video

Three Onions and a Chili #44 video © charnie guettel

CHARNIE GUETTEL'S
"THE TEARS OF OPHELIE"

• • 

    Wednesday, January 23, 2013
  • 

    7:00pm
• 
  
  
  
  Martin Kuwawi, jazz guitar,
  Ted Peters, trombone
  and Kevin Cato, alto sax,
  join Charnie Guettel for this event
  
  
  You are invited to the premiere performance of Act Two of
  “The Tears of Ophélie”
  A ‘Bar Opera’ by
  Charnie Guettel
  A ‘bar opera’ is a constellation of music and dialogue structures invented by the composer to expand harmonic performance possibilities among stage musicians and singers in the jazz idiom: song studio method, second melody, chord conscious vocal harmony, 12 part line moving, laminated dialogue, and other devices to free the performers from the constraints of conventional orchestration.
  
  On January 23, 2013 in the third floor performance space of
  Glad Day Bookshop 598a Yonge St, Toronto ($10 admission) 7:00

Glad Day Bookshop

598 Yonge St, Toronto, Ontario M4Y1Z3

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sculpture

piano interlude 11 music video #40 © Charnie Guettel July 2009

I left my heart in Orange New Jersey #39 Charnie Guettel

"Agua Viva" The Stream of Life, for Clarice Lispector, Charnie Guettel Music Video # 70

Whole Tone Glimpse #1, charnie guettel music video #89, mar 24, 2010.mov