This post is a little bit late, as the final week of the Jerwood Course was actually in July, but I’ve been married and on honeymoon since then so I do hope you’ll forgive me!
For a summary of the first two weeks you can read my earlier blogs here and here. The final week of the Jerwood Course was structured differently to the earlier weeks in that we each arrived with the operas fully composed and were more engaged in the process of production as opposed to continual composition. It was an exciting and challenging week for all involved.
I was incredibly blessed, again, with musicians. My piece was sung by Harriet Dugdale (aged 7), Anna Dennis and Jonathan Gunthorpe. The band was made up of my wife Claudia Racovicean (piano), Hannah Marcinowicz (Bb Clarinet), Rosie Biss (Cello) and Martin Allen (percussion). All held together by conductor Jeremy Silver. As I’ve said each week, enough really cannot be said about the musicians Aldeburgh brought in to work with us. Whereas we each spent the week focused on our own piece, each musician was involved in the performance of anywhere from 1 – 5 different operas!
Being involved in the process (albeit an expedited version of it) of producing an opera was an incredibly steep learning curve. In particular, I was struck by the need for absolute excellence and clarity of musical notation (I was, many times, very grateful for guidance I had found in Elaine Gould’s Behind Bars) along with time to think about – in particular – the challenges of changing musical metres in theatrical settings.
I had been tripped up by my experience of concert pieces where the conductor is immediately visible to all involved. In such a context changing metre can actually be helpful to musicians trying to count bars. In the theatre, though, I am now convinced it is better (at least in a limited rehearsal situation) to set up a time signature and bring in the singers ‘around the clock’, as it were.
Perhaps the most striking part of the week was to be let into a different world of terminology and thinking. I realised that I tend to think about my work as a composer as one of making decisions and answering questions. This is the note, that is the dynamic, etc… The question for the composers after each rehearsal was: How was that? Are we getting closer?
This sort of question would be asked differently in the theatre. The question isn’t: Have we said more of the right words Mr. Beckett? but rather one of drama and audience experience. The directors and playwrights weren’t reproducing answers, they were ‘making choices’ and asking questions.
What happens if he turns over the box and the balls fall out?
What if she pulls the scarf through her hands before putting it on?
The entire experience has challenged my own process, and left me hungry to get back into the world of the theatre and, specifically, of opera. Sasha and I have already begun thinking about our next project, and am hoping to write another short work with another of the librettists from Jerwood in the coming year.
At the end of three weeks, I don’t think I could have hoped for anything more than that.
For those who might be interested, you can find the recording (of the live workshop on the 28th) of The River’s Daughter on my compositions page (on the Audio playback along right hand side under ‘Vocal’).