Fauré, Gabriel (1845-1924) | Requiem, Op.48 | |
Poulenc, Francis (1899-1963) | Les Mamelles de Tirésias |
BBC Symphony Orchestra | |
Ludovic Morlot | Direction |
Hélène Guilmette | Soprano |
Jean-François Lapointe | Baryton |
Thomas Morris | Ténor |
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt | Ténor |
Ivan Ludlow | Baryton |
BBC Singers | |
BBC Symphony Chorus |
An evening of Gallic delights featuring Poulenc’s most light-hearted and rarely-performed opera and Faure’s intimate, celestial Requiem. Les Mamelles de Tirésias is a setting of Apolinaire’s surreal burlesque, in which ardent feminist Thérèse decides to become a man and fight wars, leaving her husband to repopulate the country by giving birth to 40,049 children in a single day! Poulenc conjures up all the undercurrents in the poet’s fierce, absurd and often hilarious lines. French soprano Helene Guilmette takes on the truculent and unpredictable heroine. In complete contrast, the BBC Singers join the soloists for Fauré’s much-loved Requiem, a tender work of consolation, played at his own funeral. The concert finishes at approximately 9.45pm
Tickets: £10-32