site.btaPeople Who Fight for Peace and Love Must Be Valued, Croatian Composer Ivo Josipovic Tells BTA

The story that the opera Lennon tells is intended to show that people who fought for peace and love must be value, and even though it is a tragedy, he added, it is a message for peace and love, Croatian composer Ivo Josipovic said in an exclusive interview for BTA on Monday. Lennon premieres on September 5 at the Sofia Opera and Ballet.  

The Croatian National Opera, Zagreb is visiting the Sofia Opera with Josipovic’s Lennon, inspired by the fate of one of the most iconic members of The Beatles. The opera explores the psychological and emotional complexities of the individuals involved, posing the haunting question: how does a devoted fan become the killer of the man he once adored?

The author describes his work as contemporary modern music: "No allusions or quotations, but there are some associations in the story of opera, in the libretto."

When asked what John Lennon's voice would sound like today if he were alive, Josipovic replied: "He would call for peace, definitely. I think we have now a moment when the most important task for any politician or any person involved in social communication is to fight for peace.”

"Unfortunately, we know what the reality is. The decision for peace is made by the leaders of the most powerful countries. I will, of course, claim for peace, asking, begging, whatever…, protesting, but finally it's a topic for few persons and it's a pity," says the composer, who was also president of Croatia from 2010 to 2015.

Croatian composer, pianist and politician Ivo Josipovic was born on August 28, 1957, in Zagreb, Croatia. Josipovic gained worldwide fame as a talented musician and composer, and his work covers a wide range of musical genres.

Lennon features performers Domagoj Dorotic, Dubravka Musovic, Ozren Bilusic, Kristina Andelka Dopar, Sofia Ameli Gojic, Martina Menegoni, Sinisa Galovic, Dario Curic, Davor Radic, Antonio Brajkovic, Alen Rusko, Borko Bajutti, Sinisa Stork, as well as dancers Ivanica Alajbeg, Petra Vargovic Stanciu, Maja Sehic, Vid Vugrinec, Daria Bukvic, Dunja Zoricic, Azamat Nabiullin. The directors are Ivan Josip Skender and Marina Pejovic, the costume designer is Zdravka Ivandija Kirigin, choreographer Barbara Novkovic Novak, choir conductor Luka Vuksic, lighting designers Ivan Lusicic Liik and Elvis Butkovic.

Ivo Josipovic, in an interview with Dahnyelle Dymytrov, discusses his first encounter with the music of The Beatles and John Lennon, the balance between documentary and art, and the challenge of bringing a rock legend into the world of classical opera. And more: Why is Lennon still relevant today? How did his personality influence the musical language of the opera, and why are there no quotes or allusions to the music of The Beatles? How would Lennon's voice sound in today's cultural and political reality?

Do you remember the first time you listened to Lennon, and what impression did he leave on you?

I was a kid at that time, when I started to listen to The Beatles and John Lennon, and I was following them on all phases of their existence, of the pop group, and then, of course, after Lennon, as well. It was, as I already told you, from my early childhood.

Why is Lennon still relevant today? Which themes from his life strike you as the most relevant now – peace, freedom, love?

I was thinking a lot about the Lennon case, his murder, because my other profession is a professor of criminal law. I was somehow interested in the personality of a murderer, of a killer, Chapman, because he loved him, he was his fan, and then he decided to kill him. So, my question was, why and how did it happen, what were the consequences? And the other reason is that John Lennon was somehow a controversial person. So, on one side, he was an idol of young people fighting for peace, fighting for love, for good contacts between people and nations, but from the other side, he was living as an aristocrat. And probably that was also one of the motives for Chapman to kill him, because he was unsatisfied with his double-faced life.

What makes Lennon relevant today?

It doesn't matter if he is relevant or not. If you take Don Giovanni, he is not relevant today. It's a story. Or Aida, the same thing, it's not relevant today, it's just a nice story.

Do you see Lennon more as a musician, a social activist, or a mythical figure – and how did this influence the musical language of the opera?

Firstly, I have to say that he is all of those things you mentioned. He was a great musician, he was a very important and nice personality, and he was an activist as well. The CIA didn't allow him to have permanent residence in the United States for many years, because they considered him some kind of left propaganda or something like that. But from the other side, it's very important to know that in his period, in the 60s, 70s, he was somehow a spiritual leader of the social movement among young people. That was very important in that period, because they identified themselves with him and his noble messages. So, I appreciate his life and social work very much, also his music as well, because it's great music. But his music didn't influence my opera at all. So, many people ask me, oh, what songs are you going to use? No songs from Lennon. It would be a breach of copyright, and he did it much better than I can, this style of music. So, everyone who is going to listen to the opera should not expect Lennon music there.

What is the style of the opera?

Modern contemporary music.

You don’t have quotations or allusions from the music of the Beatles?

No allusions or quotations, but there are some associations in the story of opera, in the libretto.

How did you approach the balance between documentary and artistic elements in the libretto?

Marina Biti, who did the libretto, she knows everything about the Beatles. But she's also a poet, and she didn't just put facts from his life. She made an association, because all opera is based on the assassination, because opera begins with the shooting of Lennon, and then he was alive for the next 5-6 minutes. And the whole opera is his hallucination as he was lying down on the street, shot by Chapman. All the opera is his vision of a person important in his life.

Tell me some more about Marina Biti. 

She's a professor at the university in Rijeka, and she also writes books, and she's a very nice person, educated, a very educated lady.

How did you get in touch with her for this project?

It was a miracle. I was trying to find a libretto, my idea was to write about the assassination of Lennon, and I couldn't find a libretto. Many distinguished poets said: “Oh, I would like to write a libretto for you, but please not Lennon, something else.” And then I lost my faith that I will find liberties, but at one moment the telephone rang, I picked up the telephone, and a very nice voice told me: “Oh, I’m Marina Biti, I have a draft of your libretto.” She sent it to me, and I was delighted with this, it was like some kind of miracle. 

But it's very curious why other people refused about Lennon.

I don't know, because there are very distinguished writers here, and they wanted [to give me] their topic. I can understand them. They offered something else. One of our greatest writers offered me his story about Christopher Columbus. I said: “No, I don't want it. I want to tell about Lennon, that's not my work.”

Was the most difficult challenge bringing a rock legend into the world of classical opera?

No, I don't think so. Because when you see very important operas from history, they're from other centuries, stories from other centuries, but not for half a century back, in our case.

If Lennon were alive today, what do you think his voice would sound like in our cultural and political reality?

I think he would call for peace, definitely. I think we have now a moment when the most important task for any politician or any person involved in social communication is to fight for peace.

Not as a composer and artist, but as a politician, what would you say to him if you had this possibility?

I will call for peace, but unfortunately, we know what the reality is. The decision on peace is made by the leaders of the most powerful countries. So, I will, of course, claim for peace, asking, begging, whatever…, protesting, but finally it's a topic for few persons and it's a pity.

What is your personal message to the audience with this piece?

Somehow, it's a story that shows that we have to appreciate persons who are fighting for peace and love. And you will see how the opera is developing and how it's finishing. And finally, despite the tragedy, because Lennon is killed, it's some kind of message or call for peace and love.

Would you tell me some more about your pieces, like a composer, what else are you doing now?

In principle, now I'm starting to write a new opera. I have a commission from Baku to write one piece based on poetry of Nizami Ganjavi, a great Persian writer from 12th century. And now I'm fighting for this in myself, I'm studying, I'm preparing and so on. My opus is composed of orchestra piece, chamber piece, voice, all type of compositions.

Is there a word that best describes you as a person?

Wow, I think you should ask someone else. There was a joke when I was studying, I was studying parallelly law and music. And then my friends said that I'm bigamist, I have two loves, music and law.

How would you continue this sentence, I'm a person who loves?

Yes. I love people, I love humanity, I love music, and of course I love John Lennon, I love Mozart, Brahms as well.