Shadowtime is a thought opera, based on the work and life of the German philosopher, essayist and cultural critic Walter Benjamin. The libretto was written by Bernstein for composer Brian Ferneyhough and was premiered at the Munich Biennale. In its seven scenes, Shadowtime explores some of the major themes of Benjamin’s work, including the intertwined natures of history, time, transcience, language and melancholy. Beginning on the last evening of Benjamin’s life, Shadowtime projects an alternate course for what happened that fateful night.