The Genesis Opera Project 2 - An Overview

The Genesis Opera Project, now in its second cycle, is an international commissioning scheme that gives young composers and librettists the chance to develop and write music theatre works.

Having incorporated feedback from its first cycle, the Project now spans two and a half years, from proposal stage to creation. More emphasis is being given to the development process than to public performance.

Introductory workshop and recruitment

Aldeburgh Productions organised its first opera-writing workshop in the spring of 2003 to coincide with the application deadlines for the second Genesis Opera Project. Ten composers and ten writers were given a week's intensive tuition and practical exercises led by internationally recognised composers, directors, librettists and publishers. More of these workshops are being planned for 2004, including an international residency led by Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli. It is hoped that these workshops will encourage future applications to the Genesis Opera Project.

Out of 200 applications from 37 countries, the panellists chose six projects for development leading to these workshop presentations.

Presentation of work-in-progress and commissioning

Early on in the process, each team was given a mentor from the advisory panel. They were also given professional support as needed from experienced directors, translators and conductors. Librettists were asked to deliver a full libretto by December 2003 and composers to provide about 15 minutes of music by late February 2004.

A workshop for all 12 participants was organised in Aldeburgh in December 2003. Not only did this give everybody a chance to meet, reinforcing the non-competitive nature of the Genesis Opera Project, but it also provided opportunities for tailor-made practical support - to the writers, through libretto readings by professional actors; and to the composers, through sessions with singers. A few general lectures by respected specialists were also included.

There has been a ten-day period of intensive work at Sadler's Wells prior to the presentations of work-in-progress, during which conductors Gerry Cornelius and Timothy Redmond and director William Kerley have worked with the composers, librettists and professional singers, instrumentalists and actors.

We are grateful to Sadler's Wells for providing invaluable support during this crucial phase.

These workshop presentations mark an important moment in the Genesis Opera Project cycle. They showcase the talent of the six short-listed creative teams and give these artists the first opportunity to test their ideas in front of a public, through the question and answer sessions and through feedback from the participating musicians. From these six presentations, the panellists of the Genesis Opera Project hope to commission three works for production in autumn 2005.

Composition and run-through

One of the things that became apparent in 2002/03 is that the undoubted technical skill and bravura of the nine works-in-progress presented during the first Genesis Opera Project may have masked the huge leap all operas need to make from sketch to full-length piece. The regular mentoring applied to each project in the initial development phase will, from now on, continue throughout the main composition process. Early on, we will also link a director and/or designer to each project so that they too have some input into the creative process. We might also involve co-producers at this stage, should they wish to join the development and production of a particular project.

The deadline for delivering full scores is January 2005 - ten months after commissioning - and we will offer the possibility of an orchestral workshop before then. In February 2005, following a week's full rehearsal, the commissions will be given a run-through with piano and full cast in front of an invited audience.

Revision and production

The feedback from the first Genesis Opera Project highlighted the importance of giving composers and librettists the time and, just as crucially, the right context to make structural and technical revisions.

Therefore, in addition to the run-through in February, we will also allow time for proper revisions. The final productions in the autumn of 2005 will be kept light and portable. These productions may become the catalyst for further revisions or changes.

The primary aim of the Genesis Foundation is to support young artists - not only financially, but through mentoring - at the start of their careers, when they are particularly vulnerable. The Genesis Opera Project exemplifies this ethos.