Google’s Blob Opera is back to see 2022 out the door and spread the joy of classical music. Blob Opera was an online sensation in 2021, a machine learning experiment by creator David Li with Google Arts & Culture. Users can create their own song in opera style by manipulating the colourful Blobs on their screens.
Two new games offer users fun ways to explore classical music, including one with a focus on our namesake, Ludwig van Beethoven.
Blob Beats
Blob Opera Blob Beats offers a mini-game that takes users through five of the most beloved compositions of Western classical music arcade style.
Here’s how it works…
…You can access the new experiment here.
- Choose from Beethoven’s Fur Elise, Wagner’s Valkyrie, Vivaldi’s Spring, Mozart’s Turkish March or Offenbach’s Infernal Galop;
- Choose from easy, medium or hard level of play;
- As the music plays, you’ll be controlling the blobs as they sing;
- For PC or laptop, the goal is to hit the S, D, F and G keys to coincide with the notes as they drop into a white circle to make the corresponding blob sing the correct note.
The game records how often you can accurately hit the notes as the piece plays. It also dispenses a few facts about the composers along the way.
Beethoven Beats
Beethoven Beats was developed with Deutsche Grammophon, a brand new game where users only need the keyboard spacer to play.
Play the game here.
- Users have four seconds to tap out a random rhythm sequence using the keyboard space bar;
- The game will instantly match the rhythm with a section of one of Beethoven’s piano sonatas;
- It plays the sonata, and invites the user to explore the piece in more depth.
The game features recordings by pianist Daniel Barenboim.
The initiative was announced on Beethoven’s 252nd birthday as part of the Beethoven Everywhere project.
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