The album at hand is a live recording of the premiere of the opera Written on Skin, commissioned from composer George Benjamin by the Festival of Aix-en-Provence in France. That's appropriate in that the opera is based on a medieval troubadour tale that could have been heard in that area, but in its compactness and clipped restraint it is a quite British work. The story (a version of which appears in The Decameron of Boccaccio), however, is over the top, and whether it is enhanced by the music or not is a matter of taste. ...
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The album at hand is a live recording of the premiere of the opera Written on Skin, commissioned from composer George Benjamin by the Festival of Aix-en-Provence in France. That's appropriate in that the opera is based on a medieval troubadour tale that could have been heard in that area, but in its compactness and clipped restraint it is a quite British work. The story (a version of which appears in The Decameron of Boccaccio), however, is over the top, and whether it is enhanced by the music or not is a matter of taste. It's as grim as opera gets, featuring a shadowy medieval lord called the Protector; his wife, Agnès; and an artist-troubadour figure, called the Boy, who is commissioned by the Protector to tell the family's story in an illustrated manuscript. Jealousies develop, and, not to spoil too much, the heart of one of the characters is cooked and served up to another. The story was not a set of troubadour songs originally but a written-down short story that seems to have served as a source of...
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Add this copy of George Benjamin: Written on Skin to cart. $27.70, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Nimbus.
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George Benjamin. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Written on Skin: Opera in Three Parts to cart. $30.55, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Nimbus Records.