Manuel Bürger

Manuel Bürger

Work from The MIDI Opera: A hommage to the greatest file format, 15 midi file songs + 3D renderings

Watch and listen: http://www.themidiopera.net. MP3 Release (320k/bits) on Shalom Salon.

The MIDI Opera is a little homage to the MIDI file format.Due to its limitation composing songs with the MIDI synthesizer of my laptop was always an attraction to me. The sequencer software is simple, and cheesy melodies are clicked within a second. After clicking this link you’ll find a compilation of songs squeezed into a little story about Gérald Midi, a hard working businessman, who is caught in his dreams of a colorful, exciting life. Maybe similar dreams are shared by MIDI files themselves as well.

Before we start, you might like to watch the beautiful trailer:

It’s a stop motion clip (screenshots) done with WordsEye.

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The story of Gérald Midi is super simple. He’s an ambitious businessman, who works always too long in his little grey office – he sometimes even sleeps there. But Gérald isn’t always on top – he loves dreaming of beaches, girls, money,… his future life!

Only in his dreams he finds joy, love and adventures.

Here are some examples:

The “Sound_Tracks” Track features following instruments: Sound Tracks, Rhodes Piano, Seashore, GS Wind, Electric Bass Fingered Electric Bass Picked, Standard Drum Kit feat. Agogos & Shaker

Gérald is having a bath with a beautiful woman.

The “Banjo” Track features following instruments: Banjo, Harmonica, Reed Organ, Square Wave, Gunshot, Synth Bass 1,
Standard Drum Kit feat. Tambourine & Guica

Gérald even knocks a real cowboy out.

The “Glockenspiel” Track features following instruments: Glockenspiel, Acoustic Piano, Shannai, Panflute, Acoustic String Ensemble 1
Contrabass, GS Dog, GS Laughing

Download “The MIDI Opera” themes as Ringtones!

Nowadays MIDI file music seems more old-fashioned then ever. Moreover, internet browsers and mobile phones are pissy with MIDI files. Sound design and pop music are far away of the sound aesthetics of your interior MIDI syntheziser. “The term ‘MIDI sound’ has gotten a poor reputation from some critics, which may be the result of the poor quality sound synthesis provided by many early sound cards […]” (wikipedia.org)

This is my favorite one: the “Helicopter” Track features following
instruments: Helicopter, Bird Tweet, Acoustic String Ensemble, Church Organ, Synth Bass 1, Synth Bass 2, Standard Drum Kit feat. Jingle Bell

Gérald sees a poor bird getting hit deadly by a helicopter ;(

The MIDI Opera