Headcase: Opera Introspective (2006)
The libretto of Headcase comes from a journal that I kept in 2002. In June of that year, at the age of 29, I had a stroke. I was completely mute and suffering from some paralysis when admitted into the hospital. The doctors told my family that there was very little hope for a complete recovery. For whatever reason, be it a miracle or my brain's ability to heal itself, I was able to recover most of my normal functions.
During my recovery, I experienced many things such a dyslexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, (bouts of what I believed to be) schizophrenia, insomnia, and an eerie ability to remember long forgotten childhood events. These problems were probably caused by the location of the clot in my left frontal lobe. This area of the brain is our emotional and expressive core. It was a completely terrifying experience that lasted around two months. My neurologist told me to write a book about my experience. Being a composer though, I decided to write a piece of music instead.
Headcase is scored for Bass-Baritone, Flute/Piccolo, Bb Clarinet, Piano, Percussion, Violin, Cello, and prerecorded sounds. A Keyote slide presentation of my MRI scans and writings from my hospital bed accompany the music. The materials are available for rental from the composer.
Headcase was premiered in 2006 by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and has been performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Winston-Salam Orchestra, Arizona MusicFest, and Memphis Symphony Orchestra. It was recorded by in 2015 by New Music Raleigh and is available on Centaur Records.
During my recovery, I experienced many things such a dyslexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, (bouts of what I believed to be) schizophrenia, insomnia, and an eerie ability to remember long forgotten childhood events. These problems were probably caused by the location of the clot in my left frontal lobe. This area of the brain is our emotional and expressive core. It was a completely terrifying experience that lasted around two months. My neurologist told me to write a book about my experience. Being a composer though, I decided to write a piece of music instead.
Headcase is scored for Bass-Baritone, Flute/Piccolo, Bb Clarinet, Piano, Percussion, Violin, Cello, and prerecorded sounds. A Keyote slide presentation of my MRI scans and writings from my hospital bed accompany the music. The materials are available for rental from the composer.
Headcase was premiered in 2006 by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble and has been performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Winston-Salam Orchestra, Arizona MusicFest, and Memphis Symphony Orchestra. It was recorded by in 2015 by New Music Raleigh and is available on Centaur Records.
What the critics say:
"The emotions conveyed through the series of movements range from frustration through despair to hope and the tonal expression of a feeling that is calm, euphoric and fragile. There is a kind of mystery in Headcase, which propels the drama, beginning with the fourth movement, "Please Try to Count." The patient responds "One over one, one over two, one over three," etc. It eventually becomes clear that he is thinking with the musical portion, or portions, of his brain and that the fractions represent "meter" or time signatures. Did Dietz's unexplained recovery have anything to do with his musical training? It is tempting to think of music itself as the hero of the drama. Headcase is effective, cathartic, and in the last analysis, hopeful. It can also be listened to as a glorious collection of sounds." - Christopher Hyde, Portland Press Herald.
"Bolstered by a keen sense of large-scale pacing (Headcase), rhythmic interplay and adept use of multimedia, Dietz's discloser - - like the best pop, folk, country, hip-hop, etc. - - transformed his personal story into a universal one. New music devotees, as well as those whose lives have been touched by the menace of a stroke, should hear Dietz's transporting work." - Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“Headcase does more than tell Dietz's story. The work combines live musicians with taped music and electronic effects, plus graphic images of Dietz's damaged brain and herky-jerky incursions of his own distressed voice as he struggles to regain clarity and indeed his own sense of self. The skillfully calculated sum draws listeners into an unbalanced, high-anxiety place that is more than uncomfortable - - it is alarming." - Lawrence B. Johnston, The Detroit News.
“Haunting and powerful - a remarkably sophisticated score that blends words, music and visual displays top touch the heart and mind." - Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
"The emotions conveyed through the series of movements range from frustration through despair to hope and the tonal expression of a feeling that is calm, euphoric and fragile. There is a kind of mystery in Headcase, which propels the drama, beginning with the fourth movement, "Please Try to Count." The patient responds "One over one, one over two, one over three," etc. It eventually becomes clear that he is thinking with the musical portion, or portions, of his brain and that the fractions represent "meter" or time signatures. Did Dietz's unexplained recovery have anything to do with his musical training? It is tempting to think of music itself as the hero of the drama. Headcase is effective, cathartic, and in the last analysis, hopeful. It can also be listened to as a glorious collection of sounds." - Christopher Hyde, Portland Press Herald.
"Bolstered by a keen sense of large-scale pacing (Headcase), rhythmic interplay and adept use of multimedia, Dietz's discloser - - like the best pop, folk, country, hip-hop, etc. - - transformed his personal story into a universal one. New music devotees, as well as those whose lives have been touched by the menace of a stroke, should hear Dietz's transporting work." - Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“Headcase does more than tell Dietz's story. The work combines live musicians with taped music and electronic effects, plus graphic images of Dietz's damaged brain and herky-jerky incursions of his own distressed voice as he struggles to regain clarity and indeed his own sense of self. The skillfully calculated sum draws listeners into an unbalanced, high-anxiety place that is more than uncomfortable - - it is alarming." - Lawrence B. Johnston, The Detroit News.
“Haunting and powerful - a remarkably sophisticated score that blends words, music and visual displays top touch the heart and mind." - Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
