Haydn's Head (2017)

a one-act puppet opera in six scenes for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, speaking cellist, and ensemble

45 minutes

Libretto by Rick Burkhardt


Haydn’s Head is intended as a puppet opera. It is based on a true episode: four days after Haydn’s death, composer Johann Nepomuk Peter and a friend of Haydn’s, Joseph Carol Rosenbaum, opened the departed composer’s grave at night and stole his head. Their quest was fueled by the vogue for phrenology, the pseudo-scientific study of skull shapes.

Introductory Video Produced by The Industry

Performance of Scenes 1, 3, and 4 from First Take 2017

Characters:

Napoleon Bonaparte

Johann Nepomuk Peter

Joseph Carl Rosenbaum

Theresa Gassmann (Rosenbaum’s Wife)

Haydn’s Head

Two Police Officers (one puppet)

Haydn’s Body

Haydn’s New Head

The Spirit of Enterprise

Chorus of Party Guests / Mourners

Scene 1: It is 1809, and Napoleon has just conquered Vienna and makes an official pronouncement of control. Meanwhile, Joseph Carl Rosenbaum and Johann Nepomuk Peter are robbing Haydn’s grave, savoring the decaying flesh and speculating what they may learn about musical genius by studying the skull.

Scene 3: Rosenbaum and Haydn’s severed head are alone in Rosenbaum’s house, discussing life, death, work, and the secret of musical genius.

Scene 4: Napoleon and two police officers are interrogating Haydn’s Headless Body while searching for the missing head. Unsatisfied with the body’s inability to answer their questions, Napoleon orders that the body be given a new head (so that it can comprehend logic). Once the new head has been “obtained,” it and the body are given time toget to know each other.