| Guildhall School of Music and Drama | ||
| Timothy Redmond | Direction | |
| Ashley Dean | Mise en scène | |
| Anna Bonomelli | Décors, Costumes | |
| Andrew May | Lumières | |
Sāvitri | ||
| Lorna McLean | Soprano | Sāvitri |
| Steven van der Linden | Ténor | Satyavān |
| Joe Chalmers | Basse | Death |
Blond Eckbert | ||
| Louisa Stirland | Soprano | A bird |
| Alexandra Meier | Mezzo-soprano | Berthe |
| Emyr Lloyd Jones | Baryton | Blond Eckbert |
| Jonah Halton | Ténor | Hugo, Walther, An old woman |
Two imaginative and haunting British chamber operas from opposite ends of the 20th century feature in Guildhall School’s summer opera double bill.
Composed in 1916, Holst’s 35-minute opera Sāvitri tells the story of the title character’s devotion to her husband Satyavan in the face of Death. Based on an episode from a Sanskrit epic, Holst used his studies of this ancient language to translate the story into his own English libretto, which combines with colourful orchestration to explore the power of love and questions of mortality.
Judith Weir also wrote her own libretto for her 1993 work Blonde Eckbert, taking inspiration from the dark fairy tale by Romantic German writer Ludwig Tieck. The eerie and captivating opera by the Master of the King’s Music tells the story of Eckbert and his wife Berthe, whose solitary life together in the forest unravels after a mysterious visitor opens up a disturbing door to the past. This Guildhall production offers the chance to hear the one-act, pocket version of the opera.
“One of the gems of early 20th-century British music” – The Guardian on Sāvitri
“Hauntingly beautiful” – The Telegraph on Blonde Eckbert
Please note that this production contains adult content, including themes of violence, death, suicide and mental illness. Haze will be used.