Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the band Nirvana, died 20 years ago at the age of 27. In his short life, the rock icon composed music that many said gave voice to their generation.
Now a new composition by two professional musicians reconfigures Cobain’s gritty voice and sounds into a electroacoustic work. Perfume will be performed this evening at Duke’s Music department.
Paul Leary, professor of music at Duke University, constructed the electronic portion of the work using only the sounds of Cobain and Nirvana. Thomas Rosenkrantz, professor at Bowling Green State University, accompanies the electronic portion on piano.
Cobain gave an interview six months before his death that formed the basis of the piece. In it, he talked about the influence of Patrick Süskind's book, Perfume: The Story of A Murderer, on his life.
