Neither (opera)
| Neither | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Morton Feldman | |
 The composer in 1976 | |
| Librettist | Samuel Beckett |
| Language | English |
| Premiere | 1977 |
Neither is the only “opera” by Morton Feldman, dating from 1977. Its “libretto” is a 16-line poem by Samuel Beckett. Composer and librettist had met in Berlin two years earlier with plans for a collaboration for Rome Opera, but in their encounter Beckett had told Feldman that he himself did not like opera, and Feldman had echoed Beckett’s sentiment,[1] so that the work emerged in Rome as a setting for soprano soloist only, accompanied by orchestra.[2] It could theoretically be termed a “monodrama,” but given the creators’ disdain for opera, the label “anti-opera” fits better.
Recordings
- HatHut, hat (now) ART 180: Sarah Leonard, soprano; Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt; Zoltán Peskó, conductor
- Col Legno, WWE 1CD 20081: Petra Hoffman, soprano; Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Kwamé Ryan, conductor
References
- ^ Strauss, Walter A., Review of Samuel Beckett and Music by Mary Bryden (2000). SubStance, 29 (2, Issue 92): pp. 104-108.
- ^ http://www.universaledition.com/Morton-Feldman/composers-and-works/composer/220/work/3841