Lorenzo Romano: Rework
Embedding Creative Processes of Remix in the Chamber Opera La Luna
462 pp., pb., ill.
This dissertation employs methods of artistic research to establish a theoretical framework for examining my compositional practice, including an extensive analysis of my chamber opera La Luna that premiered at the Hamburg State Opera in 2022.
At the heart of the research, I developed the concept of Rework, a paradigm that redefines the creative process as an act of appropriation, transformation, and combination of existing material. It presents a practical framework for applying remix culture principles in contemporary music composition, focusing on how existing music can be reworked as a compositional tool through remix. The central research question—How did I use pre-existing sonic material to compose the opera La Luna?—guides every stage of the creative and analytical process.
The creation of the score for La Luna represents a practice-based inquiry into this central research question, with the compositional process offering an opportunity to explore and refine the theoretical concepts. Following its completion, I analyzed the opera’s score within a new discursive-theoretical framework called Rework, which integrates remix methods with the compositional techniques of Western classical music. Drawing from Eduardo Navas's Remix Theory and Peter Burkholder's taxonomy of musical borrowing, these methodological tools are essential for understanding the creative process behind the work.
