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The Minotaur
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Royal Opera House, Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD
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Rating:
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© Bill Cooper
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- It is not often that in attending a premiere one believes oneself to be in the presence of great art. But after two hours of Harrison Birtwistle’s latest opera, this appears to be the case, and director Stephen Langridge’s production (designed by Alison Chitty) is a terrible beauty to behold. The victims who arrive to face the Minotaur bear expressions of cold fear that are disturbing – and that is just the actors. The leads are excellent, too, especially John Tomlinson (the Minotaur), who roars from his soul, trapped in the futile savagery that marks his existence. Johan Reuter (Theseus) matches his adversary with another huge, solid bass-baritone, while, as Ariadne, Christine Rice’s powerful mezzo speaks of frustrated longing.
Conductor Antonio Pappano artfully handles the massive forces of this orchestra, delivering a score that is at turns tortured and savage, still and brooding. Birtwistle in his music and the poet David Harsent, in his beautiful libretto, have touched the dark heart of the myth. You do not leave whistling the tunes, but you do not forget either the images or the troubling emotions generated by this quite profound exploration of our darker nature.
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