Dot. (PONG) is the product of a late-night discussion between the composer, John Robert Matz, and our soloist, Elizabeth Zharoff. An off-topic comment was made, and the fragmentary germ of the text was written in response.  This lent itself easily and naturally to a short-form art song in a style that draws influence from three great American composers: Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, and Milton Babbitt. In the earliest days of video games, both sound and visuals were minimal, and imagination was key. Dot invites you back to those halcyon days with a short ode to one of gaming’s firsts.

Appears on Song Cycle: The History of Video Games