Der Korb is an opera that is used extensively in the motion picture "The Basket (1999)."  In the movie the opera is played on a gramophone (1918) by a schoolteacher, Martin Conlon, acted by Peter Coyote. While the music plays he tells the story of the opera to his class who in turn tell their parents and so the opera spreads through the town like a current day soap.

     In fact, Der Korb doesn't actually exist. At least not yet. In the movie it is a German opera, supposed to have been written around the turn of the century or earlier. There are eight queues on The Basket Soundtrack CD from the movie that are selections from Der Korb. As of now that is all that exists of the opera.     

    But because of the enormous curiousity the movie generated about Der Korb, Don Caron, the composer of The Basket Soundtrack is currently at work finishing the opera.  Which is what this website is about.  It is here that you can monitor the process of this opera going together.  Currently Caron is writing the first draft of the libretto, and each day the site will be updated with the new sections that he has completed.   What you read on this site will change a great deal over the next few months as he works out his ideas.  The work will be printed in English, although when completed this will be a German opera.

     work on this project will take place in four stages and the opera will be published on this site as it is completed. The process  is outlined below and the stage that is currently in progress is marked in bold. Completed stages are marked in blue. Follow red links to view work in progress