George Benjamin conducts premiere in Aix: a day of musical beauty
- Nimbus has released George Benjamin's fourth opera, featuring a libretto by Martin Crimp, which premiered at the Aix-en-Provence festival in July last year.
- The original cast included Marianne Crebassa as the Woman and Anna Prohaska as Zabelle, both delivering strong performances that captured the emotional depth of their characters.
- The opera, while having moments that could be more dynamic, is noted for its jewel-like precision in instrumental lines and vocal writing, showcasing Benjamin's consistent artistry.
George Benjamin's fourth opera, featuring a libretto by Martin Crimp, was first performed at the Aix-en-Provence festival in July last year. This production was recorded with Benjamin conducting, allowing audiences to experience the work as it was originally intended. The opera, titled 'Picture a day like this,' explores themes of loss and acceptance through the journey of the Woman, portrayed by Marianne Crebassa, who seeks a miracle to revive her child. Anna Prohaska plays Zabelle, who aids the Woman in her quest, providing a poignant contrast to her character's struggles. The cast's performances were highlighted for their emotional depth, with Crebassa embodying determination and vulnerability, while Prohaska conveyed a sense of serenity that masked her character's difficult path to acceptance. Other cast members, including Beate Mordal and Cameron Shahbazi, took on multiple roles, contributing to the opera's rich tapestry of interactions. Despite some critiques regarding pacing and the mechanical nature of the plot, the opera's beauty lies in Benjamin's meticulous instrumental lines and the graceful vocal writing that respects the integrity of the text. The work's fairytale-like quality is reminiscent of Benjamin and Crimp's earlier collaboration, 'Into the Little Hill,' yet it diverges from the stark tragedies of their later works. Overall, the recording serves as a valuable document of the opera's premiere, capturing the original cast's performances and Benjamin's conducting, which are essential to understanding the work's artistic vision and emotional resonance.