The Adventures of Pinocchio

Composer Jonathan Dove has finished the score for The Adventures of Pinocchio. Here, he talks about why he wanted to create the opera and his thoughts as he began to compose it.

Carlo Collodi’s 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio made a vivid impression on me as a child, and I have often thought of its intriguing characters; the irresistibly naughty puppet; the trickster Cat and Fox; the frightening puppet-master, Fire Eater; the coffin-carrying rabbits; the giant shark in whose belly Pinocchio rediscovers his maker, Geppetto and of course the mysterious Blue Fairy.

For a long time, I've thought this tale would make a marvellous opera that could appeal to a whole family. There are not many operas in this category (Hansel and Gretel and The Magic Flute stand out) and it would be wonderful to attract quite young people to the opera-house, whilst giving adults plenty to think about and enjoy.

Talking about the story to other people, I discovered that few people have read the original book. Most have encountered the story in Disney’s version, or one of a number of similarly sentimental adaptations that always seem to miss the strange and quirky magic of the original. They are surprised, for example, that Pinocchio squashes the cricket (Jiminy Cricket in Disney) with a mallet almost as soon as he has opened his mouth, or that the Blue Fairy first appears claiming to be dead, in a house full of dead people.

Opera has no problem embracing the strange and the magical. Writing an opera of The Adventures of Pinocchio is an opportunity to rescue some of the peculiar enchantment of Collodi’s imagination. The dramatic incidents and extraordinary characters call for colourful music teeming with invention and vivid contrasts. Marionette-dances, fairground-rides, thieves giving chase; terrifying men and a captivating girl; crime and punishment, remorse and reconciliation – it’s all a gift for a composer.

The title-role is exciting for a singer, demanding physical agility and stamina, and a big vocal range. At the end of the book, Pinocchio gets his wish and becomes a real boy. But this is not an entirely happy ending for us: we have become attached to this wilful, spirited, determined creature, who breaks all his promises and never manages to resist temptation. When life finally forces him to grow up and surrender his wooden nature, something is lost.

I look forward to making the musical journey, from the first sounds made by a talking log to the bitter-sweet rapture of Pinocchio, looking down at the puppet he used to be.