Shadowtime (opera)
Encyclopedia
Shadowtime is the first opera by Brian Ferneyhough
written to an English libretto by Charles Bernstein
. It was written in 1999-2004 and was premiered on May 25, 2004 at the Prinzregententheater
in Munich
. The City of Munich commissioned the composition and libretto in 1999 for the Munich Biennale
. It is in seven scenes (Bernstein 2008):
The composer regards Opus contra naturam, a scene set to the composer's own text and played by a Liberace
-like figure, as the centre-piece of the opera (Whittall 2003, 27).
and goes on to deal with various aspects of his writings and philosophy from the point of view of his descent into the underworld (Bernstein 2008).
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian John Peter Ferneyhough is an English composer. His music is characterized by the extensive use of complex rhythmic tuplet notation which features in all his works...
written to an English libretto by Charles Bernstein
Charles Bernstein
Charles Bernstein is an American poet, theorist, editor, and literary scholar. Bernstein holds the Donald T. Regan Chair in the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is one of the most prominent members of the Language poets . In 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the American...
. It was written in 1999-2004 and was premiered on May 25, 2004 at the Prinzregententheater
Prinzregententheater
The Prinzregententheater, or Prince Regent's Theatre, is a theatre and opera house located at 12 Prinzregentenplatz in the Bavarian city of Munich, Germany.- Building and History :...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The City of Munich commissioned the composition and libretto in 1999 for the Munich Biennale
Munich Biennale
The Munich Biennale is an opera festival in the city of Munich. The full German name is Internationales Festival für neues Musiktheater, literally: International Festival for New Music Theater. The biennial festival was created in 1988 by Hans Werner Henze and is held in even-numbered years over...
. It is in seven scenes (Bernstein 2008):
- New Angels/Transient Failure
- Les Froissements d'ailes de Gabriel
- Doctrine of Similarity
- Opus contra naturam: A Shadow Play for Speaking Pianist
- Pools of Darkness
- Seven Tableaux Vivants Representing the Angel of History as Melancholia
- Stelae for Failed Time
The composer regards Opus contra naturam, a scene set to the composer's own text and played by a Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
-like figure, as the centre-piece of the opera (Whittall 2003, 27).
Synopsis
The opera begins with the suicide/death of philosopher Walter BenjaminWalter Benjamin
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German-Jewish intellectual, who functioned variously as a literary critic, philosopher, sociologist, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist...
and goes on to deal with various aspects of his writings and philosophy from the point of view of his descent into the underworld (Bernstein 2008).