The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log » opera

Strange Attractor, now with added Moore

Joe — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:03:42 +0000

That man Pádraig Ó Méalóid drops us a line to alert us to a special, unseen Alan Moore work in the new 4th issue of Strange Attractor. As he describes it “The most recent issue of Strange Attractor Journal contains, amongst much else, the text for Alan’s unfinished John Dee opera, which he was originally meant to be developing alongside Damon Albarn and Gorillaz, before they went their seperate ways on this. I believe that, besides the complete unfinished text for the opera – if you see what I mean – there are also notes on staging and other aspects of the project.”

I wonder if Alan got some of his operatic urges out with the Beggar’s Opera style musical section of LOEG Century? Got to admit though, would be fun to see a Moore penned opera, wouldn’t it? Especially on Doctor John Dee, who is a fascinating man in his own right, suspended between the old and modern worlds, magic and science, a natural area of attraction for Alan.

Hewlett, Albarn and Moore collaborating on opera

Joe — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:46:29 +0000

You might remember a few months back (see here) I mentioned that BBC radio announced Alan More was to collaborate with Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn on an opera, with Moore writing the libretto, but there were no more details at the time. Now some more information has come out, with Albarn telling the media the opera will be based on the fascinating life of John Dee, one of the most remarkable figures from the Elizabethan era.

(16th century portrait of John Dee, artist unknown, borrowed from Wiki)

Dee is an intriguing man, highly educated and skilled in maths and astronomy but also working in alchemy and, in later years, using a scryer to try and call forth angels to learn secret knowledge (he filled huge amounts of meticulous notes on the supposed communications). He’s somewhere between the early days of modern science and older ways of looking at the world (it’s well worth reading a biography on Dee, by the way), a historical figure I’d imagine would have much resonance with our Great Bearded Comics Wizard of Albion. Given Albarn’s success with the Monkey opera I’d think this has a better chance of getting staged than the seemingly endlessly troubled Spider-Man musical Bono is involved in. (via Gigwise)

Alan Moore – the opera?

Joe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:52:55 +0000

BBC Radio music news just mentioned that a certain Mister Alan Moore was collaborating with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett on their next opera, following the Gorillaz boys’ successful Monkey: Journey to the West opera. I thought I had mis-heard, but on the BBC’s Newsbeat site there it is: “We’re planning for me to do the libretto on their next opera project,” Alan told Mustard Magazine, also adding that Hewlett and Albarn would also be involved in his new Dodgem Logic mag. I wonder if it it will be in any way related to the operatic elements of the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Century?You can still enjoy Pádraig’s massive interview with Alan on the blog: part one here, part two and part three.

(musical murder as MacHeath sings in the first part of LOEG: Century by those well known purveyors of shilling shockers and penny dreadfuls, Messrs Moore and O’Neill, published Knockabout/Top Shelf)