Olga Neuwirths und Elfriede Jelineks Musiktheaterschaffen

The corporate producing of the contemporary Austrian artists Olga Neuwirth (composer) and Elfriede Jelinek (writer) are the focus of this paper. Necessary for the beginning is a topic limitation. After review diverse concepts (Modernity, Contemporary Music, Avantgarde, Mainstream, Post Modernity, Quote/Allusion) occurs a description of Neuwirths composition aesthetics that influenced the contemporary music progress after 1975. One section reviews different contemporary music flows, the phenomenon of literature opera, adaptation process and other forms of experimental music. They will be discussed by some examples. Afterwards there are other examples from Minimal Music, Folklore, historism and humour for opera composition of the 20th century. At last the author goes into the intentions of contemporary composers. Another focus rests on the work of Elfriede Jelinek. Not only Jelineks literature work pulsates, also her position in the artists association and her relations to tradition, publicity, media and critics. All this and the public reactions review the portrait of Jelinek. Olga Neuwirth also will be defined biographical, aesthetical and artistically. Her working processes and her intercultural orientation always will be mentioned in cross-reference to Jelinek. Furthermore, this chapter will advise some elements of composer work, instrumentation, finish, vocalisation, electronic as well as stage reality. The next passage occupy with libretto writing, the relation between music and literature, concrete based and analysed on the work Jelinek/Neuwirth: characters, basic topics, artistically signs, composition parameters plus thematically aspects. Following happens an analytically preparation of six elected contemporary music works from the two artists: "Robert der Teufel" (1985), "Körperliche Veränderungen" (1990/91), "Der Wald" (1990/91), "Aufenthalt", "Bählamms Fest" (1999) and "Lost Highway" (2003). Mainly the development, libretto models, adaptation processes and stylistics as well as thematically focuses will be drawn and compared in a summary to demonstrate possible parallel and divergency as soon as forecast for other future works.