The ''Brunel'' opera project is a collaboration between

Matthew King (composer) Matthew King (born 1967) is a British composer, pianist and educator. His works include opera, piano and chamber music, and choral and orchestral pieces. He has been described by Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music, as “one of Britain ...

, Nye Parry (sound design) and Michael Irwin (libretto) to write a dramatic work based on the life and work of

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...

. The opera was the subject of a special feature on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

, broadcast in October 2003, and the project has been documented in detail in the book, ''The Reflective Conservatoire''. The opera remains a work in progress and has yet to be performed in its entirety. In October 2003, the critic, Martin Hoyle, wrote in

the Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nikk ...

The musical excerpts (from Brunel) sounded immediately attractive, richer and more varied than the long littleness of Adams's ''Nixon in China'' or the arid wastes of Glass's ''Akhnaten'': characterised vocally and grateful to sing, unlike most modern operas.Martin Hoyle, ''Financial Times'', October 2003

The part of Brunel is sung by a tenor. There are choruses of labourers, critics, widows and ghosts. The orchestra is an ensemble of brass instruments, sometimes employed in a manner reminiscent of Brunel's contemporaries Berlioz and

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, sometimes imitating mysterious industrial sounds (such as the hiss of steam). The electronic score incorporates sampled industrial sounds which are sometimes "tuned" in order to fit the harmonic landscape of the music.

References

{{Brunel Operas Compositions by Matthew King