Speculative Music by Jeff Dolven

Author:Jeff Dolven
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Sarabande Books

Now the six lamps on the MUSICIANS’ six stands are lit, forming a semicircle, and bringing to light in turn a box the size and shape of an upright piano, with its back to the audience. On top, the INVENTION reclines in the attitude of a cabaret chanteuse, smoking, otherwise still. Its face is cast in darkness. Blindness, rather. The INVENTOR keeps his distance as he moves among the MUSICIANS, alternately attentive and distracted. He pauses in his irregular rounds, turns, pauses again, starts to sing:

INV. I have an idea: strip out the frets.

No rungs or steps. No lets. No ratchets.

Unplug the valves. Grease up the slide.

Don’t punctuate. Elide. Elide.

—What was I saying? Damn violins!

The bow runs out. You count your sins.

The oboe fails at the end of the breath.

Between the last and the next one—now,

where was I?—Should be getting home.

I think I hear the metronome.

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