# Short stories suitable as libretti for one-act operas.



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

With the 'recreation' of antique Greek Tragedy as the intention, European Opera was born in the late 16th century. Those composers who met and formulated 'opera' truly thought they were recreating the Greek manner of presentation, with a Choros singing commentary and / or moving along the story line, and a few principals in the roles of the main characters declaiming their texts.

The premise underneath it all remains the same: the story of a nature which compellingly demands transcending the limits of normal speech, at a degree of emotional pitch or depth of import where it 'wants' instead to be sung.
[Ergo: Melos (song) + Drama.]

Within immediate recall I can think of Stravinsky's "Le Rossignol" - from Hans Christian Anderson, and Brittens' "Turn of the Screw," from the Henry James story, which was turned into a rather full-length affair vs. a one-act.

Candidates may be of any character: I'm most hoping for short stories which can be a 'one-act' (ca. one hour as opposed to longer) and definitely the more dramatic, darkly ironic, spooky, or tragic.

Britten's 'Billy Budd,' (Melville - may technically be a novella - it's been decades since I read it) was originally conceived as a radio broadcast piece, and is often plagued as a stage production as being rather static, though some stagings have come off remarkably well.
I mention it as another possibility of venue where a story might be a very apt choice but staging might be utterly impractical. At present, there is a real possibility of an opera being originally conceived of for a film presentation - making what is not possible to stage entirely possible in this medium. (It might be 'politic' to mention if you deem any of your candidates as better suited to audio only or film.)

over to you...


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Ive often though a lot of Beckett's plays would be suitable.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

emiellucifuge said:


> Ive often though a lot of Beckett's plays would be suitable.


Morton Feldman turned Samuel Beckett's "Neither," a 56-line poem, into an opera for the stage!

I've often thought Beckett's one-act monologue, "Not I" could make either a tremendous virtuoso piece, either aria or, since it is staged (just the actress' mouth showing in a hole in a curtain) a one-act opera... Female voice - choose your Tessitura / Fach!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

emiellucifuge said:


> Ive often though a lot of Beckett's plays would be suitable.


Haha, "Opera Without Words!" :lol:

It'd be great to turn _Krapp's Last Tape_ into an monodrama opera with possibly another pre-recorded male voice as his younger self as heard in his tapes.

Another idea is to look at some traditional stories from different cultures. I have written a 35 minute two act (originally going to be one act) opera based on a Macedonian folk tale.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Northern Irish author Martin Waddell has written many stories, mainly for younger folk, but he also contributed a few comically macabre short stories for Pan books back in the 60s/70s which could work for the stage as many have just one or two scenes. 'Old Feet' was a childhood favourite of mine. 

Some short stories by HH Munro (i.e. 'The Interlopers') could crank up the psychodrama quotient and some of Basil Copper's eerie offerings might work as well (i.e. 'The House by the Tarn').


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