Collaboration in Opera Composition : Writing an opera with three composers

• Main Author: Keith, Mathieu
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för konst, kommunikation och lärande 2020
• Subjects: Composition; collaboration; opera; theater; music; Komposition; samarbete; musik; teater; Music; Musik
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-79129

Music is full of collaboration, between composers and musicians, musicians with each other, or composers with directors, to name a few. Not as commonly found are collaborations between multiple composers. Some works, such as Hexameron, (Liszt, 1839) were written as variations on a theme by several composers, but even rarer are single works written collaboratively by multiple composers. How would one set out to create a work with multiple composers? Can a group of composers collaborate to create a single, unified vision with a similar voice? What obstacles would arise from such a project? This thesis sets to answer these questions and more, and details the process in which myself and two composers created an operetta in three acts. We will walk through every step of our journey, from the first meeting to the writing process to the final product and concert. The aim of this thesis is to explore how a collaboration of composers can work, the problems that may arise and how to potentially avoid them. If these aims are achieved, this thesis may serve as guidelines for other composers wishing to collaborate on similar projects.