Links We Like: Cybermusic Edition

Classical music blogs are all a-Twitter with news of the Royal Opera House’s plan to create the world’s first Twitter Opera. The concept is that anyone who has a Twitter account can contribute, 140 characters at a time, to the opera’s lyrics. They will then be set to original music and performed next month. Aisle Be Seeing You posts a few choice Tweets, but as the composers are quickly finding out, it’s hard to group-author an opera:

Good luck!
Via ArtsJournal and Aisle Be Seeing You.

Credit: Charis Tsevis.

While we’re on the subject of weird opera experiments, (of which there are many), check out Timberbrit. As in, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. This opera was created by slowing down Britney songs and according to Daniel Stephen Johnson, the result is surprisingly tragic. In a good way. And a bad way.
Via npr.org and Daniel Stephen Johnson.

From the Guardian: Carlos Acosta during a performance of Le Corsaire at the Gran Teatro of Havana, 14 July, 2009. Photograph: Sven Creutzmann.

The Royal Ballet went to Cuba! Read all about it.
Via ArtsBeat.

From Mars Hill Church Seattle.

I love this guy. Oliver Sacks talks with Harper’s Magazine about his book Musicophilia and all the freaky-deaky things that music can do to your brain. Neurology in music has never been so cool.
Via ArtsJournal.

Credit: Alex Harries

Say what? Sample Music has just released a new program called Morphestra that mimics over 1000 instruments. The program is designed to help TV, film, and video game makers, but I still think “Morphestra” sounds more like a Disney villain that anything else. Case in point: the article says Morphestra uses “psycho-acoustic sound design.” It’s only a matter of months before it turns on you, ala 2001: a Space Odyssey.
Via ArtsJournal.

And, finally, Alex Ross unearthed the FBI’s files on Leonard Bernstein. They are AWESOME. Also filled with inappropriate language (mostly Nixon’s). Click with caution.
Via The Rest is Noise.