Death of a Scientist 2009Scottish Opera
Read more about the opera Death of a Scientist
5:15 (2)
We have become used to the idea of opera's ability to deal with recent political events, largely thanks to John Adams with Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer. Such potentially controversial enterprises no longer surprise. The still recent scandal surrounding the origins of the Iraq War and the existence or otherwise of weapons of mass-destruction, culminating in the suicide of government adviser David Kelly, still seemed a daringly topical subject, and it inevitably received most of the media attention during preparation.
It was undoubtedly effective, though it may be that the hype was slightly overdone. As it was, the work chose to concentrate on the internal debate leading up to the suicide, and the political aspects were largely ignored. In the limited time available, surely the right decision. The sirens luring and comforting him became an effective device.
