This course presents a rare opportunity to get a close-up experience of a professional production of a new opera. Andrew Lovett’s one-act opera The Analysing Engine will be performed in November. Contributing to this activity will be the main focus of the first part of the course. Alongside this we will look at examples of chamber operas since 1945, such as Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. We will think about how music and drama are combined to create a unified artistic work. The course is aimed at anyone interested in opera, composing (or writing) or opera/theater production.
Sample reading list:
Benjamin Britten, The Turn of the Screw (vocal score)
Salzman & Desi, The New Music Theater
Bernstein, Trouble in Tahiti (vocal score)
Reading/Writing assignments:
Students will make one special presentation during the course. A final written work will complete the course (which may be in the form of a composition).
Other information:
There will be spaces reserved for (up to) three performers involved in the performance and anyone involved in the technical aspect of the piece. For interested students, there will be an opportunity to contribute to the preparation of the production (of The Analysing Engine). Some of this will take place during fall break.
