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2 choruses (8 + 4), 8 soloists, tapes, 6 dancers and 10 instruments. – ca. 90′

This anti-opera was, in fact, the composer’s PhD final composition (or dissertation). It was made in close collaboration with the visual artist, Michel Jaffrennou. Its dramaturgy starts with Phillipe de Vitry’s Le Roman de Fauvel, Fauvel being a horse who gains royal status and written, it is believed, as a commentary during the time of there being two Popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon.

Le roman de Zizi (zizi is a bird but also jargon used by children for their sexual organs) contains a somewhat anarchic text, wonderful costume and set designs and is intended to cover the almost too broad horizon of the music of the day. It involves a small ensemble including unusually a 12-string guitar and includes 4-channel recorded segments with passage ranging from text-sound composition, to atonality to rather easy listening melodic repetitive elements and much more. … thus far only scenes have been performed.

Here follows two images from the score/libretto of Le Roman de Zizi