Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)

Life with an Idiot (1991)

opera in two acts
[La Vie avec un idiot]


stage work

  • General information
    • Composition date: 1991
    • Publisher: Hans Sikorski
    • Libretto (details, author):

      Livret de Viktor Yerofeyev d'après sa nouvelle. Version allemande de Jörg Morgener, version anglaise de Andrew Reynolds et Anthony Legge.

Detailed formation
  • soloists: 2 sopranos, 2 tenors, 2 baritones, solo bass voice
  • unspecified choir, flute (also piccolo, alto flute), oboe (also English horn), clarinet (also Eb clarinet, bass clarinet), bassoon (also contrabassoon), horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, 4 percussionists, celesta, piano, harpsichord, organ, 5 violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 5 double basses

Premiere information

  • Date: 13 April 1992
    Location:

    Pays-Bas, Amsterdam, De Nederlandse Opera


    Performers:

    Orchestre Philharmonique de Rotterdam, Mstislav Rostropovitch, direction, Boris Pokrovsky, mise en scène.