Operas Inspired by War
Wozzeck
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Composer: Alban Berg
Libretto: Based on the drama Woyzeck by Georg Büchner Year: 1925 The opera's main character, Wozzeck, is a common soldier who kills his mistress and himself after imaging that she has been unfaithful to him. This tragic story is an operatic take on the devastating effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and shell shock post World War I. |
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War RequiemComposer: Benjamin Britten
Libretto: The text is a combination of traditional liturgical requiem text and poetry by Wilfred Owen Year: 1962 Britten's War Requiem is a non-liturgical requiem that was written for the re-consecration of the Coventry Cathedral in England, which was destroyed in bombing raids in World War II. This musical work is a modern-day masterpiece that poignantly combines sacred text from the Catholic Mass for the Dead, and personal poetry by a soldier in World War I. |
Glory DeniedComposer: Tom Cipullo
Libretto: Based on the book by Tom Philpott Year: 2007 This opera tells the true story of Colonel Jim Thompson, who spends a decade as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He returns to America to find his country, and his family, changed beyond recognition. |
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Silent NightComposer: Kevin Puts
Libretto: Adapted by Mark Campbell from the screenplay Joyeux Noël by Christian Carion Year: 2011 This opera tells the story of a truce that was made between enemy combatants on Christmas Eve 1914, during World War I. The troops exchanged provisions across enemy lines and agreed to a cease-fire to bury their fallen comrades properly on the eve of the holiday. This touching story poignantly highlights the shared humanity of the soldiers, all far from home. |
Two WomenComposer: Marco Tutino
Libretto: Based on the Italian novel by Alberto Moravia Year: 2015 This opera follows the story of a woman and her daughter in Italy during World War II. The two suffer unspeakable trauma that shows the horror of war in its stark, bleak reality. |
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