Music / Classical
Rock Me Amadeus: Mozart vs. Machine
In which crazy universe would you see a gender-bending Mozart, a jury of blinged-up old ladies and a sci- gameshow come together? In composer Dominic Robertson’s mind, that’s where.
Over five years he has painstakingly deconstructed Mozart’s arias and reconstructed them again into Mozart vs Machine – an electronic operatic collage that sees three actors face a fantastical flip-book through time and space.
is needed now More than ever
The titular hero is on trial for nicking music from throughout the centuries, forefather of electronic music Raymond Scott is there, and, of course, they need a referee. Oh, yeah – and it’s 70 per cent opera.
Even before he was working on Mozart vs Machine in earnest, Robertson had Mozart on his mind. “When something is in my system, it takes a while to work it out,” he says. “I was taken to see a production of The Pirates of Penzance when I was twelve and something about the aesthetic of it really appealed to me. So, from then on, I decided I wanted to be an opera composer.”
After a long hiatus of non-opera related activities, Robertson realised that opera is what has been calling him all these years. “And it’s not out of my system yet,” he says. But while Robertson has been consumed by opera for the majority of his life, he isn’t a fan of the associations of the traditionally operatic world. “People love Mozart vs Machine – 95 per cent of shows I play are not to an opera audience,” says Dominic.
“But as far as marketing goes, it can be a problem, because people see the word ‘opera’ and think, ‘Oh my god’. But this is something very different to that – this kind of opera is a giant collage of information set to music. With this tour, we will hopefully get non-opera audiences thanks to the venues, and I am very happy about that – though that can be a double-edged sword, because there’s a part of me that wants to assault a traditional opera audience with an hour of electronic noise.”
Robertson will be visiting The Cube (which he calls “the nicest venue in England”) with the “shredded Mozart” show on September 21. “Bristolians are well-versed in their electronic music and underground culture,” muses Robertson. “I think they will adore it, and should definitely come and see it.”
Dominic, flattery will get you everywhere.
Mozart vs Machine will play at the Cube on Thursday, September 21. Grab a ticket at www.cubecinema.com
Read more: Dear John
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