Known for the accessibility of his musical style, Jonathan Dove is one of the most frequently programmed British composers. He is also one of the most open-minded, having taken musical inspiration from subjects ranging from Pinocchio to Princess Diana. So I was delighted when, two and a half years ago, I was asked to speak to him about Itch, his new opera for teenagers, based on the science fiction book by the Radio 2 presenter Simon Mayo.
I remember getting lost and flustered on my way to the interview, one humid summer’s day in 2023 - but that quickly evaporated on arrival. Housed in a former Victorian school in east London, Dove’s elegant and minimalist flat exuded a sense of calm - and so did the composer himself. Over several rounds of Earl Grey and Rooibos tea, he dissected the topic of opera with quiet rigour, contemplating what it was exactly about a subject that rendered it operatic.
In this snippet from the interview, Dove considers how music can take over where language leaves off, citing two of his previous operas - Mansfield Park and Flight - as examples.
