Poets and Operas

So I almost peed my pants with glee tonight.

I was doing research for my new project and found this gem of literary genius: Anne Carson created a libretto around Simone Weil.

I don't know why it surprises me when I find operas written by poets and why I get excited by this form in particular. But I am delighted each and every time I make a new discovery. These libretto tend to be gifts of often glorious writing.

Margaret Atwood was interviewed on CBC radio on February 2nd, when she was in town. She discussed how she is working collaboratively with groups of 3 writers/actors/musicians at a time to create the readings around The Year of the Flood. This all got me very excited. I did not get out of my car until she finished talking about these performances (and bird watching in Stanley Park before her interview,) and I did not care that my neighbours were looking at me funny as they walked by.

Atwood also recently wrote a libretto about Pauline Johnson. You can read an article about that equally exciting project here.

I took Meryn Cadell's Lyric and Libretto class at UBC a few years back and not only did I just love, love, love all the young musicians I got to work with, I considered myself thoroughly blessed to get 4 months to muck around with a form that was outside my ken with Meryn as my guide. I have my own libretto of sorts in the works; reading and listening to Carson tonight made me want to revisit this work of mine and see how to make it come alive again.

Stay tuned.