You’re currently writing an opera, The Lost, based on a play by the avant garde Austrian novelist/playwright Peter Handke. Why were you attracted to this project?
This is for the opening of a new opera house in Linz, Austria — they asked me to be the composer for the premier. I had to find an Austrian writer, and that’s the one I liked. Fortunately, he was alive! So I contacted him.
This is for the opening of a new opera house in Linz, Austria — they asked me to be the composer for the premier. I had to find an Austrian writer, and that’s the one I liked. Fortunately, he was alive! So I contacted him.
I had just had a big opera out there, which he saw, and he had a play called Footprints of the Lost, and he seemed very pleased with it. It’s being adapted to the stage, and I’m working on it now. The writer is Rainer Mennicken,Dennis Russell Davies is conducting, and David Toutney will be the director.
What’s the story?
It’s a fairly abstract story. The characters don’t have names, they only have letters. There’s lots of them, crossing from stage right to stage left. It’s a panorama of the human condition, you might say, but in a very Beckett point of view, with social and political commentary. The human condition is on display, sometimes in a very funny and humorous way, and sometimes a very sad way. I like it because it leaves a lot of room for the composer to flex his musical muscles.
It’s a fairly abstract story. The characters don’t have names, they only have letters. There’s lots of them, crossing from stage right to stage left. It’s a panorama of the human condition, you might say, but in a very Beckett point of view, with social and political commentary. The human condition is on display, sometimes in a very funny and humorous way, and sometimes a very sad way. I like it because it leaves a lot of room for the composer to flex his musical muscles.
How do you see yourself flexing your muscles here?
I’ve done a lot of operas by now. I have a very good grasp of orchestration. Balancing instruments and voices is something I’ve leaned a lot about over the last 40 years.
I’ve done a lot of operas by now. I have a very good grasp of orchestration. Balancing instruments and voices is something I’ve leaned a lot about over the last 40 years.
It’s a very choristic piece, with dance, and actors. It’s the opening night of this opera house, so it’s appropriate thatThe Lost includes dance, theater and opera, and all of these elements are a part of it. I have so much experience in all of these modalities of theater, and I feel comfortable
http://handke-drama.blogspot.
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