MATTHEW KING - COMPOSER

Das Babylon Experiment is a Chamber opera for 5 soloists, chorus and 15 instrumentalists. The libretto (in German) is by Michael Kerstan.

The opera is a contemporary reflection on the Tower of Babel myth. In a dystopian society various political intrigues occur as the authoritarian leaders of an enormous building project try to outmanoeuvre each other in their insatiable lust for power. In the meantime the workers on the enormous tower sense a threat to their livelihood and a young couple fear that their romance may be threatened.

The score has a restless energy, underpinned with marches, tangos and surreal waltzes.

The opera was commissioned by the Nürmberg Kammermusik Festival and was premiered in Nuremberg in 2008.