Work: Anaïs Nin

Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival has once again succeeded in showcasing with flair some of the most daring and innovative small-scale operas. This Sunday, a diverse audience gathered at London’s Riverside Studios for the performance of Louis Andriessen’s recent monodrama Anaïs Nin (2009-10).

The gentle sound of a kettle coming to the boil was the intriguing start to the UK premiere of Louis Andriessen’s work for singer, ensemble and film, Anaïs Nin. The peeling and eating of a banana gave rather more of a clue as to what was to come, in a concert that carried the warning “This concert contains explicit content and language and is recommended for ages 16 and over”.