The Descent of Inanna, 1992

In 1990, Jenni was commissioned by Odaline de la Martinez of Lontano to write a short chamber opera. It was intended to be paired with an opera by Jules Massenet, Le Portrait de Manon, (48 minutes). In the end Inanna took up the whole evening at 100 minutes duration. It was premiered at the ICA on The Mall, London in 1994. It was revived at The Place in 1994 and toured to Manchester, Bristol and Bath. It was then performed in 1996 at the Chard Festival of Women in Music and in a shortened version. In 2009 the opera was performed in a new Bare Bones version at the Arcola Theatre’s Grimeborn Festival.

A second opera commission from Lontano was offered for Siddhartha Spirit Child in 1996. For more on the opera and it commissioning process, please see the link above.

In June 2007 Jenni and opera conductor/vocal coach Alexander Ingram spent one day recording about 30% of the music of The Descent of Inanna in Jenni’s flat in North London. To prepare for this day the two of them went through the original 1992 score and evolved the orchestration, adding a flute, clarinet, double bass, second percussionist, and electronic organ to the original line up of string quartet, keyboard and percussion. They also added two more singers to allow for less doubling, from five to seven singers. Below are some of the films made on that day by the filmmaker Steve Teers of Diva Picutures.

Share My Joy, Inanna’s first entry

Maria Jardadottir sings Share My Joy as Inanna

Love Song, 1 – The shepherd Dumuzi seduces Inanna

Raw Song, – Inanna’s return to life

Alexander Ingram – conductor of Inanna recording, June 2007.

Chase Song – White Bull Dying – the ‘costly return’ from the Netherworld

Marie Angel sings White Bull Dying as Geshtinanna

Gates 5, 6 and 7 – into the Netherworld, to meet her sister, the dark Goddess Ereshkigal.

Here, the two sisters, Inanna and Ereshkigal meet in a dramatic climax to the opera. Jenni, as The Tale Spinner, adds a ‘free voice’ part in certain places, as found in this extract.

Credits…

Composer Jenni Roditi , Libretto Lyn Gambles. © JR 1992. Conductor Alex Ingram, Inanna sung by Maira Jardadottir, Ereshkigals 1 and 2, sung by Adey Grummett and Jenni Roditi. Geshtinanna sung by Marie Angel, Enki sung by Nigel Robson, Dumuzi sung by Steve Douse, Chorus with additional voices and members of the cast – Marie Angel, Adey Grummett, Kerry Andrew, Steve Douse, Jeremy Birchall, Michael Solomon Williams.
Flute Nancy Ruffer, Clarinet Dai Pritchard, Piano Julian Jacobson, Keyboard Walter Fabeck, Violin Tony Humphries, Violin Darragh Morgan, Viola Nic Pendelbury, Cello Deirdre Cooper, Bass Corado Canonici, Percussion Martin Allen and Joby Burgess.
Sound recording Martin Gordon and Adrian Lee. Sound Production Steve Parr and Jenni Roditi. Cameras Nick Gordon Smith, High Lambert, Blanca Escoda, Steve Teers. Directed by Steve Teers Diva Pictures Production, Ealing Studios 2007.
Inanna was commissioned by Odaline de la Martinez and Lontano in 1990. Premièred at the ICA, London June 1992. Subsequent productions, 1994 toured, the Place London, Royal Northern College of Music, Bath and Bristol. 1996 Chard Festival. 1997 Zagreb Bienalle. 2009 Grimeborn Festival Arcola, London. Inanna, the opera/Descent of Inanna the opera: © Jenni Roditi 1992.