PhD in Musical Composition: Oratorio in our time

To research and create an oratorio commenting on historical events of our time. While operas have historically often been based on mythology or classical drama, there have been notable examples of opera depicting modern history, such as John Adams’s operas Nixon in China, Dr. Atomic and The Death of Klinghoffer. Whittall argues that these stories are compelling for us because of the dichotomy, again, between reality and dramatic imitation of reality (Whittall, 2008). An oratorio or passion-formatted large-scale work depicting a modern history figure or event has the potential to be even more powerful because these formats feature third-person narrative or a chorus commenting on events taking place, whereas opera typically does not. In a culture where so many feel entitled to comment on all events of the day through social media and other avenues, a depiction of a modern event, while simultaneously commenting on that event in a large-scale musical work could entice the listener to see and relate to modern history in new ways.

The School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture has a lively postgraduate community. Postgraduate students are offered a comprehensive programme of research skills training.