OBJECTS WITH SOUL: The strange power of puppets in opera.

In this podcast Hayley talks us through the early history of puppets in opera, including the eighteenth century fashion for opera composed specifically for puppets. She goes on to describe the conclusions reached in her doctoral research, applying musicological thinking to marionette operas in our era, conclusions she considers applicable more widely to cinema and animation. These include her theory 'performance networks and poetic synchronicity. She talks about her experience of various performances and her conviction that the movement of puppets, expertly 'played', are inherently musical. 

Participants:

Hayley Burton Richards, musicologist, musician, educator, Head of Music, Wilson's School.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Hayley"s beautifully written Harvard PhD thesi. 'Breath, Gravity and Death' can be accessed here:  https://dash.lib.harvard.edu/handle/1/37372118?show=full

Some of the performances discussed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi-7aTW_po

https://www.kentridge.studio/projects/wozzeck/

Richard Teschner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY38P-6TYQM

Lotte Reiniger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-TJvNBO1fw

Opening music: extract from scene 2 of Brainland composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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