| The Minotaur | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Harrison Birtwistle | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Harrison_Birtwistle_(cropped).jpg) The composer in 2008 | |
| Librettist | David Harsent |
| Language | English |
| Based on | Minotaur |
| Premiere | 15 April 2008 Royal Opera House, London |
The Minotaur is an opera in two acts, with 13 scenes by English composer Harrison Birtwistle to a libretto by poet David Harsent, commissioned by the Royal Opera House in London. The work, a retelling of the Greek myth of the Minotaur, premiered at the Royal Opera House on 15 April 2008 under the stage direction of Stephen Langridge.[1] The score is modernistic, and the scenes fall into three types: bullfights; scenes between Ariadne and Theseus; and dream sequences for the Minotaur, in which the creature has the gift of speech.[1] The opera lasts about 140 minutes. A detailed analysis of the opera was published by Rhian Samuel.[2]
The opera was revived at the Royal Opera House for five performances in early 2013, featuring most of the original cast, most notably Christine Rice, John Tomlinson, Andrew Watts and Johan Reuter.[3]
- ^ a b Loomis, George, "The Minotaur: A masterful retelling of a classic Greek myth", The New York Times (21 April 2008)
- ^ Samuel, Rhian, "Birtwistle's The Minotaur: the opera and a diary of its first production", Cambridge Opera Journal, 20-2, (01 May 2009)
- ^ Royal Opera House Covent Garden – The Minotaur 2013 production, Retrieved on 30 December 2012