CBSO Centre
Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF
United Kingdom
http://www.cbso.co.uk

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Conductor: George Benjamin
Soprano: Rebecca Bottone
Contralto: Hilary Summers

George Benjamin’s jewel-like, award-winning chamber opera - a contemporary re-imagining of The Pied Piper fable – has gone on to enjoy worldwide success since its premiere in 2006.

The opera tells the tale of a morally bankrupt politician who, desperate to shore up a flagging public vote, promises to exterminate a plague of rats. A faceless stranger arrives and offers his services; but when the Mayor refuses to pay up, his actions have terrible repercussions. All the roles in Into the Little Hill are performed by two female singers, while the richly-expressive and alluring score combines conventional instruments with basset-horns, cornets, a cimbalom, and even banjo and mandolin.

Also drawing on a classic fable, David Sawer’s stage work, Rumpelstiltskin, was premiered and toured by BCMG in 2009/10 to universal acclaim. In this concert we give the Birmingham premiere of Sawer’s 30-minute instrumental Rumpelstiltskin Suite, compiled from his scintillating Rumpelstiltskin score.

Completing the programme is Italian composer Franceso Antonioni’s BCMG 2009 Sound Investment commission Ballata (dell’abbandono e della fortuna), which takes its sources from two songs: a lullaby from southern Italy and a ballade, Ecco la primavera, composed in the 15th century by the Florentine Franceso Landini.

There will be a free pre-concert talk from 6.30-7pm with George Benjamin, David Sawer and Francesco Antonioni, open to all ticket holders.



Franceso Antonioni : Ballata
David Sawer : Rumpelstiltskin Suite
George Benjamin : Into the Little Hill