This page is a non-commercial research entry within the Operatic LGBTQIA+ Catalogue. It does not claim authorship, ownership, or rights over the works discussed.
All rights remain with the respective authors, composers, librettists, publishers, companies, performers, and rights holders.
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Behind the Wallpaper
35
English
Synopsis
A song cycle narrating a mysterious transformation. The protagonist leads a mundane, dreary life, but altered perception reveals a sinister flicker in the corners. After a strange encounter in a university science park, they begin to change in ways both visible and invisible. The story traces an unsettling journey of otherness, culminating in finding a home in a hidden world.
Composer
Alex Temple
Lyricist / Librettist / Playwright
Alex Temple
Year of composition/publication / premiere
2015/2023
Genre
Song cycle
LGBTQAI+ category
Trans
Level of centrality
Main character
Characters
Voice type
Mezzo-Soprano
Pronouns
she/her
Publisher / Rights holder
New Amsterdam Records (album release). The score is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike.
Where to buy / access the work
The album is available on Bandcamp, and the score is accessible through Northwestern University’s institutional repository.
Performance rights
For performance rights, please contact the composer and/or publisher to ensure legal compliance.
Official website
Audio recording(s)
Video performance(s)
Keywords
Song cycle, gender transition, trans woman, genderqueer, queer, string quartet, electronics, Julia Holter, Spektral Quartet, New Amsterdam Records, surrealism