Written on Skin

17 March 2016

Madrid

Thursday 20:00 / Teatro Real de Madrid

Semi-staged Concert Performance

PROGRAMME

GEORGE BENJAMIN: Written on Skin

  • Conductor George Benjamin
    Agnès Barbara Hannigan
    Angel 1/ The Boy Tim Mead
    Angel 2/ Marie Victoria Simmonds
    Angel 3/ John Robert Murray
    The Protector Christopher Purves
    Stage Director Benjamin Davis
ABOUT THIS CONCERT

After the Spanish premiere of Written on Skin in Barcelona on 16 March, the production travels to Madrid.

Written on Skin is based on an old Occitane legend – a story of love and death, of power and bravery. The drama takes place in the 13th century, but is told from a contemporary perspective. A small choir of three angels brings the audience back to the past and narrates the drama, which recounts a love triangle between a man, his wife, and an illustrator of manuscripts.

George Benjamin’s score demands extraordinary orchestral forces, including a glass harmonica, mandolins, tuned cowbells, a typewriter and bongo drums. It creates a highly expressive soundscape with a wide range of colours, in which instrumental and vocal timbres are closely connected.

Played by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of George Benjamin, and with leading vocalists Barbara Hannigan and Christopher Purves, this production features the majority of the original cast that performed the acclaimed Written on Skin World Premiere at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2012.

The MCO and all the vocalists of this European tour were also featured at Written on Skin’s US stage premiere at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York in August 2015. The premiere was hailed as “the Cultural Event of the New York summer season” by The Washington Post.

Stage director Benjamin Davis’ reduced concert version is based on the original staging by Katie Mitchell, but accentuates the role of the orchestra by placing it on stage.

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CONCERTS THIS TOUR

10 March 2016 Dortmund

Thursday 20:00pm / Konzerthaus Dortmund

Works by: George Benjamin

With: Guest George Benjamin, Presenter Marie Luise Maintz, Members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

11 March 2016 Dortmund

Friday 20:00pm / Konzerthaus Dortmund

Works by: Johann Sebastian Bach, Arnold Schönberg, George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Soprano Anu Komsi, Mezzo-soprano Hilary Summers

12 March 2016 Dortmund

Saturday 20:00pm / Konzerthaus Dortmund

Works by: George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Soprano Barbara Hannigan, Counter-tenor Tim Mead, Mezzosoprano Victoria Simmonds, Tenor Robert Murray, Bass Christopher Purves, Stage Director Benjamin Davis

13 March 2016 Cologne

Sunday 20:00pm / Kölner Philharmonie

Works by: George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Soprano Barbara Hannigan, Counter-tenor Tim Mead, Mezzosoprano Victoria Simmonds, Tenor Robert Murray, Bass Christopher Purves, Stage Director Benjamin Davis

15 March 2016 Barcelona

Tuesday 19:00pm / Gran Teatre del Liceu, Foyer

Works by: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Presenter Christina Scheppelmann, Members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

16 March 2016 Barcelona

Wednesday 20:00pm / Gran Teatre del Liceu

Works by: George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Soprano Barbara Hannigan, Counter-tenor Tim Mead, Mezzosoprano Victoria Simmonds, Tenor Robert Murray, Bass Christopher Purves, Stage Director Benjamin Davis

19 March 2016 London

Saturday 13:00pm / Jerwood Hall, LSO St. Luke's

Works by: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch, Piano George King, Members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

19 March 2016 London

Saturday 19:30pm / Barbican Hall

Works by: George Benjamin

With: Conductor George Benjamin, Soprano Barbara Hannigan, Counter-tenor Tim Mead, Mezzo-soprano Victoria Simmonds, Tenor Robert Murray, Bass Christopher Purves, Stage Director Benjamin Davis