As part of Hoogtij #58, and to commence our series of events dedicated to poetry, Page Not Found organized a screening of Robert Ashley‘s TV-opera ‘Perfect Lives’.

A distinguished figure in American contemporary music, Robert Ashley (1930 – 2014) holds an international reputation for his work in experimental forms of poetry, music, opera and multi-disciplinary projects, many of which incorporated electronics and extended techniques. His recorded works are acknowledged classics of experimental use of language in a musical setting.

“Perfect Lives’ is a television opera “about” a bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love and adolescent elopement. Above all it is one of the most important late twentieth century text-sound compositions and an ever inventive and topical work which shows how the interdisciplinarity of opera can be applied to contemporary art and culture.

Additionally a special presentation was made around the books and other published works made by Robert Ashley.