1.Outline / 2.The Progression of the Story / 3.Stage(1) / 4.Stage(2) / 5.Stage(3) / 6.Stage(4) / 7.The Final Word&Credits
 
     
 

The Monologue Opera
The New Era

Outline

Background that can't be conveyed during the opera:
     
  The digital network that is connecting the world on a global scale is spreading like wildfire. It is becoming a book of knowledge that can gather and process huge amounts of information, a brain for the whole world that has abilities that far exceed that of individual humans. Before long this brain will begin to address the areas in the book that have been left blank by humans, it will start to automatically generate the secrets of the creation of the universe and the origin of life, and will release these secrets as a secret code onto the internet.
There are people who intuitively understand the meaning of this strange code that floats around on the internet. They have learnt that the code is directly conveyed to humans not by letters and words, but by transforming the code into music and sound. They have also discovered that it is something that was already understood by humans belonging to ancient civilizations. People have exchanged this knowledge, and with further intuitiveness a faith in the internet, a religion has been born.
The gospel of this religion preaches that one should suicide, that is, do away with the flesh and attain a purely spiritual existence. It states that the objective of human existence is to offer oneself as a sacrifice to God, the principles of the universe, and become part of the glorious melody. This melody, or sound has the magical ability to stimulate to the maximum parts of the human brain that are not usually utilized. It also has the awesome power to awaken what has been handed down as a genealogical record from ancient civilizations that have long since ceased to exist.
The melody is the only expression comprehendible to humans of God's language, something that we normally cannot understand. To do away with the physical body and become part of God's melody is the final goal for humans, a goal that is not attainable by other biological beings. Originally, human language was also structurally regulated in the same way as "God's language".
 
     
Content:
     
  This mass, an initiation ceremony for death is the most significant life event for the believers. The mass is a real space where believers share the music and sound that is created from the strange code that comes from the internet, a solemn place where it is possible to listen directly to God's language through the music. The ceremony centers upon the leading actor who will offer himself up as a sacrifice in front of the other followers and is held according to the following order.

1. Alleluia - All present listen to Godユs melody performed by virgin maidens.
2. Archive - The appearance and genealogical information of the actor are captured and sent as data onto the net (and left there).
3. Reincarnation - The leading actor drinks some poison and while waiting to die sings God's language, thanks to God and his confession.

In order to confirm that the believer who died during the ceremony has become part of the melody, data of the believer will be recalled with a matching part of the melody and remembered amongst feelings of respect and envy.

The leading actor for the opera, the mass, is a fourteen years old child.
 
     
The Stage:
     
  The following features of the opera are made possible with the use of specially developed systems and several computers including:
l A sound generation system based on the performance of four female keyboard players (principally a performance in keeping with sine waves);
l A video imaging system to synchronize the musical score of the four female keyboard playerユs performance and the progress of the music;
l An imaging system to project prepared images and images from several (infrared) cameras on stage onto a large screen;
l A delay system to delay the video images on the stage;
l Control systems to control other sound sources and lighting etc.
The electronics and the network fully utilize the latest technology. They make the stage both complicated and intricate and are themselves a form of the opera's expression.