Why This Opera?

 

On February 24, 2026, it is years since Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine. Many claim this

war has begun in 2014, when Crimea was occupied. It is the biggest geopolitical drama on the European

continent since World War II. Yet, its profound impact still seems underrated by many, including leading

politicians in The Hague and other European capitals.

This opera is an attempt to use music to urge people to reflect on the fact that we are living in a decisive

era in European history. We face a choice: either Europe succeeds in becoming a geopolitical player that

asserts and maintains it's right to exist, or it becomes a plaything in the hands of stronger (and even

destructive) forces.

The opera originated in a three-act version, of which the lyrics were completed before Trump began his

second term in the White House. The unchained and raucous American neo-fascism that has been

unleashed upon the world by Trump since, and the weak response from European capitals, show that the

metaphor of former NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: “in 1989, we have poured

ourselves a glass of white wine and continued to enjoy our life on the beach” remains an apt

characterisation. In 2022 we not only remained on the beach, but we also ordered ourselves more wine,

albeit with the acknowledgment that it is good to drink in moderation!

We could have used the past years to develop a stronger European leadership, backed by a clear

democratic mandate. We could have worked out a joint defence policy, formed a European defence force,

and structurally arranged its financing at the European level. In short, we could have given Europe as a

peace project a new inspiration, one that also resonates with generations who have not received firsthand

stories about World War II. We have done none of this.

When I launched the 3-act version in February last year, I did not expect that we would experience a full

fling American fascism growing in brake neck speed. I the course of 2025 I realised that the events of the

Trump era offered multiple possibilities to deepen the dramatic core of the opera: betrayal by the leader of

the free world, the destruction of the international rule-based order and the painful endeavour of Europe

to come to terms with these events. I turned to the work again and the result is a new third act that deals

with these events. The enlargement required some changes to the fourth act to maintain narrative and

dramatic consistency. Hence I have added a connecting song and updated Putin’s lament in 4.2. While at

it, I also improved a couple of other songs that did not satisfy me.

 

The Origin of the work

The idea for this opera originated from a chance discovery: the AI app Suno. I came across it when I

wanted to add music to a farewell song for a colleague. The possibilities of the program surprised me so

much that I decided to explore it further. During the Christmas period 2024, I wrote a story intended and

used as a Christmas greeting for friends and acquaintances. That story became the starting point of this

opera. Traces of it can be found in the final act. The core idea is that when earthly powers fail to halt evil,

divine intervention could offer a way out. From that concept, the rest of the work grew, closely tied to the

history of the Ukraine conflict.

When composing, I faced a limitation: I have no formal musical training. However, I am quite well-versed

in the world of opera (from Monteverdi to Britten) and art songs. My starting point was therefore very

much focused on the narrative side: the story. The lyrics I wrote guided the choice of musical styles when

generating the music. I have attempted to bring coherence to the work in several ways. I mention:

1. Moods and Genres

The opera has three main atmospheres:

2• Rock, spiced up with post-punk and industrial add-ons, as the foundation for the war scenes and the

dynamism around Zelenskyy, whom I portray in the first act as a rocker, but who, in the course of events,

proves quite adept at expressing himself in the more jazzy styles of international politics and diplomacy.

• Jazz in various forms for the political scenes and diplomatic interactions.

• A variety of American music styles in the third act to reflect the American influence on the course of

events.

• Orchestral and hybrid music, particularly in the final act, in which the Divine intervention takes shape.

• I have spiced up Putin’s contributions, especially the two songs in the first act, with diminished seventh

chords. This seemed apt to paint this ‘diabolus in musica’. (In the final act, I have given him more humane

traits, but these appear in context of a realm of dreams.)

2. Harmonic Cohesion

I have strived to make transitions between pieces as natural as possible unless dramatic tension required

dissonant modulations. Where possible, the key in which a piece ends connects to the key of the next piece.

However, I have not been too strict with this: especially in the second and third act, I simply relied on my

ear.

3. Content and stylistic Consistency

The following elements have been consciously used to create narrative and musical connections:

• References to the UN Charter in various places (the Charter Song [1.09], Zelenskyy’s insistence on

intervention with Xi [2.05] with literal inclusion of the prohibition on the use of force, Zelensky’s reference

to the Charter in his phone call with Trump, Irina’s reflection on Putin’s crimes).

• Eastern Orthodox choral style for three moments of reflection [nrs 1.09, 2.01 and 2.14].

• African flavour for the plea of an African leader [nr. 2.02] and a Chinese flavour for Xi’s parts [nrs. 2.04

and 2.06].

• Key phrases: “a righteous peace” in the concluding lines of nrs. 2.07, 4.02 and 4.08, “too little too late”

connecting nr. 2.12 with 2.13., and the repeat of the first paragraph “this is how it ends …” in nrs. 4.09

and 4.10.

• Putin, Irina and Xi have been upgraded to personas in Suno, allowing the same voice and style to be used

for different lyrics. When most of the songs were made, Suno did not offer an option to select specific

voice types, making it difficult to maintain a consistent vocal identity across different styles. It is still not

possible to have Suno generate duets in any reliable fashion. It is hit and miss. A duet of voice with the

same gender is even harder. Therefore, I instructed the app in nrs 3.06 and 3.07 to have the singer create

different characters within one song. When Schubert allows himself this (Erlkönig), I do too.

I did not venture into using digital audio workstations (DAWs) like GarageBand. That would lead to a

finished product that cannot be distributed via the Suno platform - something I wanted to avoid.

Copyright Aspects

The lyrics

The lyrics are all written by me, except for the quoted paragaphs of the UN resolution in no. 1.09, from

the UN Charter in No. 2.05 and the first verse of song 2.01. These lines are a Ukrainian translation of the

first lines of the song Христос воскрес (Khristos voskres), Op. 26 No. 6 by the Russian composer

Rachmaninov. This song refers to the traditional Easter greeting in the Eastern Orthodox church. As

such, its context is the Christian passion story, a living tale of Divine intervention, in the West, in Ukraine

abnd in Russia. Rachmaninov’s version contains irony: if the Lord were truly to rise and see the mess you

have made, he would break into tears. It should be sung in all Russian churches every Sunday until the war

is over.

3The images

The images have been created with the app Graphite. They are mostly reworkings of photographs from

rightfree sources, like official government sites (Ukraine official website of the President, US Library of

Congress, etc. For the rest, they are edits and reworkings of cartoons I came across on social media and of

AI-generated images.

The Music

The legal status of AI-generated music is still a largely unexplored area. According to the current state of

U.S. law, purely AI-generated music cannot be copyrighted. A more pertinent question is whether AI

compositions can infringe on existing copyrights. In my view the current line of thinking is that AI-

generated content is a statistical mix of countless input sources, making it impossible to directly trace it to

a specific work. This appears plausible for instrumental music, provided the AI has been sufficiently

broadly trained. Vocal music presents more complications. Would one recognize a particular singing style

or phrasing as belonging to an existing work? What if two highly distinctive elements of famous singing

voices were combined via AI (say, Louis Armstrong’s rasp with Sinatra’s crooning technique)? This

presents an interesting challenge for an intellectual property judge. For now, my own assessment is that my

opera does not infringe on the rights of others. However, it cannot be ruled out that some AI-generated

elements may be traceable to copyrighted sources. I am aware of the ongoing lawsuits in the U.S., and

their outcome will likely be decisive for how AI music is treated legally in the future. For anyone who feels

disadvantaged by this work, I emphasize that this opera is not a commercial project. I earn nothing from

it and ask for understanding regarding any recognizable elements. The goal is not exploitation but

awareness.

 

To conclude

This opera is a musical and dramatic attempt to put the spotlight on one of the main geopolitical

developments of our time: the breakdown of the international rule-based order. Geopolitical reality is

changing rapidly and Europe is hesitant in finding a proper response. The question is no longer whether

we must become more independent - that choice has already been taken from us. As the Canadian prime

minister Carney said in Davos: “If you do not sit at the table, you’re on the menu”. The question is how

we achieve that independence. Ukraine’s tragedy is far from over and if Trump manages to keep the

majority in the American Congress next november, Europe could be in for a rough and dangerous ride. I

have endeavoured to use humour to bring light to an essentially dark subject matter. I hope this opera

makes people think and, from time to time, smile. I hope signs of approval and satisfaction will lead to

listeners sharing it with others.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: giving 👍 in Suno helps to spread the message since it will keep the opera

visible on their home page.

February 24, 2026, Antoon Schotman