Opera meets code: Philippe Manoury’s Die letzten Tage der Menschheit

At our visit at the IRCAM-institute during our Paris-excursion I visited a panel talk, that described the workflow in creating a multi-media opera, that lies at the intersection of traditional opera and contemporary music technology and that struck me: Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (The Last Days of Mankind) by French composer Philippe Manoury. Based on the extensive anti-war drama by Austrian writer Karl Kraus, the work premiered at the Cologne Opera in June 2025 and reflects on themes of conflict, media, and societal collapse.

The Material

Karl Kraus wrote Die letzten Tage der Menschheit during and after World War I. The text consists of over 220 short scenes, depicting fragments of daily life, political rhetoric, and journalistic distortion that led to the chaos of the war. Due to its scale and structure, Kraus himself considered the piece impossible to stage in its entirety.

Manoury’s adaptation condenses the material into a three-hour opera. Rather than present a straightforward narrative, the production offers a layered and often disjointed sequence of impressions and reflections. Manoury and director Nicolas Stemann refer to the result as a “Thinkspiel”, a hybrid of the German Spiel (play) and the English “think”, suggesting a theatre of ideas rather than linear storytelling.

Blending Acoustic and (digital)Electronic Practice

Manoury, known for his work with live electronics, collaborated closely with IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) in developing this opera. He used tools such as Antescofo, a real-time score-following system that syncs live instrumental input with preprogrammed electronic components, and PureData, a visual programming environment designed for audio synthesis and spatial control.

The system enables audio to follow performers in real time, allowing electronics to respond to spoken text, instrumental timing, and stage movement. Manoury worked with Miller Puckette, the creator of PureData, to develop new modules tailored to the opera’s needs, including a granular speech-processing system that tracks vocal input spatially on stage.

This setup allowed for integration of a full orchestra, live electronics, spoken word, and multimedia, with a focus on flexibility and performer interaction during rehearsals and live performance.

Structure and Staging

The opera is divided into two distinct parts. The first presents loosely chronological scenes from the First World War, focusing on figures such as politicians, journalists, and ordinary citizens. The second part is meant to be a reflection and takes a more abstract and philosophical tone, exploring themes such as violence, historical memory, and self-destruction.

A newly introduced character, Angelus Novus acts as an observer throughout the piece. Performed by mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, the character provides continuity and commentary across the fragmented scenes.

The staging involves video projections, live camera feeds, war imagery, and a modular stage design. The visual components are used not for spectacle but to support the opera’s shifting focus and tonal contrasts.

A Contemporary Approach to Historical Events

Die letzten Tage der Menschheit does not aim for easy accessibility. Its structure, sound design, and subject matter are complex and at times demanding. However, the production reflects current interests in combining artistic disciplines and using digital tools to reinterpret historical works.

Rather than retell World War I history, the opera focuses on atmosphere and fragmentation, using both musical and technological language to examine how war, media, and misinformation interact, which in my opinion is as relevant as ever in the face of current events.