w18185
| Title | Stuffed Raspberries : a comic opera in 2 acts. Act 1 of 2 |
| Contributors |
Derek Ball (composer) Anne Makower (author) |
| Composition date | 2009 |
| Duration (mins) | 0 |
| Category | opera theatre |
| Instrumentation | S A T Bar / Cl (B-Cl) Tu 3 Vn Perc |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | |
| Notes | To James Wilson |
| Programme Note | Jim Wilson was my composition teacher in the early 1970s, just before I disappeared into a medical career for more than 30 years. I got back in contact with him in 2001. In the year of my early retirement from medicine, 2005, I knew he was working on his 8th or 9th opera. Of course it was a great shock to me, as to everyone who knew him to hear of his sudden death in August 2005. He had completed Act 1 of a 2-act opera in piano score at the time of his death. Contrary to his usual custom he wrote to piano reduction rather than full score, indicating that he felt some urgency. That opera was Stuffed Raspberries, to a libretto by his friend Anne Makower. I discussed with Anne and others what the possibilities were for this unfinished work. It was obviously unperformable without both a realisation of the presumed instrumentation of Act 1 (demanding enough), and - which was not only difficult but controversial - a compatible setting of Act 2 by another hand. We have not completely abandoned the idea of one day exploring that treacherous path,strewn with pitfalls,but in the meantime we agreed on the more comfortable route : that of starting afresh. Putting Jim's music out of my mind (or in some cases consciously doing the opposite of what he did!), I have composed my own take on Anne Makower's good-humoured farce. |
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