Who composed the opera Wozzeck?
Q: Who composed the opera Wozzeck?
A: The opera Wozzeck was composed by Austrian composer Alban Berg (1885-1935).
Q: When was it first performed?
A: Wozzeck was first performed in 1925.
Q: What type of music does it contain?
A: The music of Wozzeck contains tonal music in the tradition of Mahler, as well as some atonal music and melodies based on the whole tone scale.
Q: How did Berg write for the voices?
A: Berg wrote for the voices in unusual ways, sometimes requiring them to half-speak, half-sing (called Sprechgesang).
Q: What is the story of Wozzeck based on?
A: The opera is based on a play called Woyzeck by German playwright Georg Büchner.
Q: What makes this story unusual for an opera?
A: This story is unusual for an opera because it focuses on a poor man who is not very smart and is bullied and misused by other people, rather than focusing on important characters like kings or gods which are usually seen in operas.
Q: What type of character does this story feature?
A: This story features what's known as an "anti-hero", which is a character who cannot help what happens to them due to their circumstances.
