Please note this archive page may link to other pages and sites that no longer exist
BLOND ECKBERT and other stories Main House
Saturday 29 July 2006 at 7.30pm
Come early at 6.45pm for a free pre-concert talk with Judith Weir and Patrick Bailey.
| Conductor | Patrick Bailey |
| Director | John Fulljames |
| Designer | Adam Wiltshire |
| Lighting | Giuseppe Di lorio |
| Eckbert | Owen Gilhooly |
| Berthe | Heather Shipp |
| Bird | Claire Wild |
| Walthe | Mark Wilde |
Programme
Really?
by Judith Weir after the Brothers Grimm and Johann Peter Hebel
Small tales, tall tales world premiere
by Kenneth Hesketh after the Brothers Grimm
Blond Eckbert
In a new version by the composer
Music and libretto by Judith Weir after Ludwig Tieck’s Der blonde Eckbert
Welcome to the magical forest of tales and riddles in which animals can sing, the commonplace becomes mystifying and the past always returns to haunt you. Miniature stories by the Brothers Grimm are brought to life by composers Judith Weir and Kenneth Hesketh and introduce the strange world of the acclaimed opera Blond Eckbert.
A magical singing bird tells an enchanting fairy tale which hides an extraordinary and disturbing secret. A child, raised in an isolated mountain forest by a strange old woman, tries to run away but cannot escape.
Inspired by the films of Alfred Hitchcock this opera is a taut psychological thriller. Judith Weir’s richly lyrical musical language and concern with theatrical storytelling is at its best in one of her most highly praised operas. Her newly commissioned version for ten instrumentalists receives its premiere in a new production by The Opera Group, best known for its vivid storytelling and outstanding young singers.
It is incredibly rare to see ensemble work of this level in theatre, let alone opera with virtuoso singing included.
The Times on The Opera Group
An accessible modern classic…Judith Weir deserves global recognition
The Independent on Sunday on Blond Eckbert
Tickets: £13 full price (£7 concessions, £5 under 16s)
This performance is promoted by 
www.bcmg.org.uk
Blond Eckbert summer tour includes performances in London, Sheffield, Manchester, Cheltenham and Oxford.
For details, visit www.theoperagroup.co.uk