During a recent conversation with the Sun, the Who’s Pete Townshend dropped clues about a fresh rock opera while discussing his future projects.
As he confirmed, the guitarist has been currently composing the music for his debut novel ‘The Age Of Anxiety,’ published in 2019. He said the following about the project:
“I am still developing the score and recording the music. I am also working on a documentary about the project, from its inception in 2007 until today. I’m probably two years off completing it, at which time I hope to perform it with a full opera and a cast of guest singers.”
This is not the first time Townshend talked about his plans for ‘The Age Of Anxiety,’ though. In a recent interview with the Daily Beast, he revealed some other details about it, explaining:
“The new piece that I’ve been working on for a long time, ‘The Age of Anxiety,’ has an installation conversation aspect to it. So I probably will finish that, and if there are any AI software-based wonderments that come out of the new wave of technology and data manipulation, I’ll probably use them for that project. So, it’s still bubbling.”
‘The Age of Anxiety’ was originally called ‘Floss The Musical’ and is a project that the musician has worked on for a long time, since at least 2009. He initially expected to release it in 2011. In 2012, Townshend sold the rights to his past and future work, including ‘Floss The Musical.’ He reflected on the project in a 2012 chat with the Rolling Stone, noting:
“[It is] a story with music, characters, an Aristotelian plot line very different from what I’ve done in the past… The thesis is we’re all terrified. We’re living in terror, we’re living in anxiety and discomfort, and the fear that we have is for the future, the fear for our children’s future; we’re worried about the planet, we’re worried about terrorism, being able to sustain life as we love it, we’re afraid we can’t guarantee peace.”
In 2015, speaking to Uncut, he mentioned that the work was meant to be an art installation. He disclosed that he wanted to revisit his artistic roots, which he had to set aside when he joined the Who.
