Alois Bröder's opera, The Wives of the Dead, is an commissioned work by the Theater Erfurt and premiered there on February 2, 2013.
Compositional Technique
The opera acoustically merges its two versions through the use of tape recordings in Version 2, which feature distorted everyday sounds, atmospheric echoes, and orchestral material from Version 1.
Compositional Technique
The opera is presented in two versions, which Bröder created to explore the ambiguity of the original Nathaniel Hawthorne story beyond a single interpretation.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Composer Alois Bröder was motivated to create the opera by the enigmatic ending of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, which breaks off at a decisive moment before its necessary dramatization.
Compositional Technique
Bröder's score uses specific musical motifs for the two main characters, Mary and Margaret, with Mary's motif initially suggesting hope in Version 1, but leading to catastrophe in Version 2.
Composer Biography
Alois Bröder, born in Darmstadt in 1961, has composed approximately 110 works for various instrumental and vocal combinations, including two operas, and has received several awards.
