# Shadowtime (opera)

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***Shadowtime*** is the first [opera](/source/Opera) by [Brian Ferneyhough](/source/Brian_Ferneyhough), written to an English [libretto](/source/Libretto) by [Charles Bernstein](/source/Charles_Bernstein_(poet)). The City of Munich commissioned the work in 1999 for the [Munich Biennale](/source/Munich_Biennale). In seven scenes, the work deals with life and death of the philosopher [Walter Benjamin](/source/Walter_Benjamin). It was written from 1999 to 2004 and was premiered on 25 May 2004 at the [Prinzregententheater](/source/Prinzregententheater) in [Munich](/source/Munich).

## History

[Brian Ferneyhough](/source/Brian_Ferneyhough) was commissioned in 1999 to compose an opera for the [Munich Biennale](/source/Munich_Biennale). He wrote *Shadowtime* to an English [libretto](/source/Libretto) by [Charles Bernstein](/source/Charles_Bernstein_(poet)) that deals with life and death of the German philosopher [Walter Benjamin](/source/Walter_Benjamin).[1][2]:

The opera was premiered on 25 May 2004 at the [Prinzregententheater](/source/Prinzregententheater) in [Munich](/source/Munich) in the final performance of the Biennale, after individual scenes had already been performed in [concert version](/source/Concert_version).[1] It was played in the UK at the [English National Opera](/source/English_National_Opera) and recorded there by [BBC](/source/BBC), aired in 2005.[3]

## Composition

Instead of telling a story among characters, the opera is a sequence of seven scenes,[1] in a form similar to early *[intermedi](/source/Intermedio)*;[2] they have been described as dreamlike:[3]

1. *New Angels/Transient Failure*
1. **Les Froissements d'ailes de Gabriel**
1. Doctrine of Similarity
1. **Opus contra naturam*: A Shadow Play for Speaking Pianist*
1. *Pools of Darkness*
1. *Seven Tableaux Vivants Representing the Angel of History as Melancholia*
1. *Stelae for Failed Time*

The first scene is about Benjamin's suicide.[2] The libretto includes elements from his philosophy "on time, history and representation",[3] from the point of view of his descent into the underworld.[2]

The composer regards **Opus contra naturam**, a scene set to the composer's own text and played by a [Liberace](/source/Liberace)-like figure, as the centre-piece of the opera.[4] In the premiere, [Nicolas Hodges](/source/Nicolas_Hodges) performed speaking and playing while his grand piano was moved across the stage.[1]

## References

1. Ammicht 2004.

1. Bernstein 2008.

1. BBC Radio 3 2005.

1. Whittall 2003, 27.

### Cited sources

- Ammicht, Marion (26 May 2004). [""Shadowtime" im Prinzregententheater München"](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/shadowtime-im-prinzregententheater-muenchen-100.html). *[Deutschlandfunk](/source/Deutschlandfunk)*. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- Bernstein, Charles (2008). ["Shadowtime: An Opera by Brian Ferneyhough""](https://writing.upenn.edu/epc/authors/bernstein/shadowtime/). *writing.upenn.edu*. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- Whittall, Arnold (2003). "Connections and Constellations". *[The Musical Times](/source/The_Musical_Times)*. '***(144 / 1883 (summer)): 23–32.***
- ["Opera On 3 / Ferneyhough's "Shadowtime""](https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/operaon3/pip/kekrf/). *[BBC Radio 3](/source/BBC_Radio_3)*. 12 November 2005.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shadowtime (opera)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowtime_(opera)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowtime_(opera)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.