Composition Commission issued to Anno Schreier

Staatstheater Nürnberg, Germany

The mathematician Alan Turing (1912-1954) is a figure caught between scientific genius and personal tragedy. Early on, he recognised both his mathematical talent and his homosexuality. After studies at Cambridge and Princeton, he becomes the leader of a group of deciphering experts at Bletchley Park when World War II breaks out. Their task is to crack the German Enigma encryption machine. The success of this effort has a decisive impact on the course of the war and provides the Allies with important advantages. Turing first conceives the idea of a machine that can think through algorithms – a prototype of the computer. British anti-homosexual laws and their interpretation lead to Turing's conviction and hormonal castration. In despair, he commits suicide in 1954.

Anno Schreier's new opera composition Turing, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation for the Staatstheater Nürnberg, draws a multi-layered figure of the mathematician. The libretto, written by Georg Holzer, is not a chronological retelling of Alan Turing's biography, but highlights certain aspects of his life and work.

Due to the current situation and associated regulations, there may be changes at short notice. For the latest information on the project please therefore check staatstheater-nuernberg.de