George Benjamin, Written on Skin: Teatro Real
About the Event
Discover one of the most successful new operas of recent years — a work that underlines the timelessness of the human story by recreating ancient history through a contemporary lens.
George Benjamin — a follower of Messiaen — conducted his opera's 2012 premiere in Aix‐en‐Provence and continues that tradition here, bringing the authority of the composer to a score which includes such unusual instruments as the viola da gamba and the glass harmonica. Benjamin's plot, taken from Boccacio's Decameron, tells a gory tale of passionate and destructive love with a subtle, sensuous musical language.
Cast / Production
Musical director: George Benjamin
Protector: Christopher Purves
Agnes: Barbara Hannigan
First Angel / Boy: Tim Mead
Second Angel / Marie: Victoria Simmonds
Third Angel / John: Robert Murray
