This collection consists of George Benjamin and Martin Crimp's two award-winning full-length operas, in visually stunning productions by critically acclaimed director Katie Mitchell. Written on Skin has been hailed as 'magic and irresistible... The best opera written over the last twenty years' (Le Monde). It tells the story of a cruel and powerful Protector who asks a mysterious Boy to create an illuminated book to celebrate his wealth and family. He invites the Boy into his home, little realizing that this will lead to a journey of startling, joyful and ultimately tragic self-discovery for his oppressed and much younger wife Agn�s. Drawing on the real-life relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston, Lessons in Love and Violence explores how personal relationships can have fatal political consequences. The King lives in a close but uneasy relationship with his wife Isabel, their two children and his lover Gaveston. When the King banishes his military advisor Mortimer, he sets off a chain of devastating events. The composer conducts two superb international casts, including soprano Barbara Hannigan, who appears in the leading roles of Agn�s and Isabel.

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George Benjamin and Martin Crimp’s second full-length opera – following the acclaimed Written on Skin – draws on the real-life relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston to explore how personal relationships can have fatal political consequences. The King lives in a close but uneasy relationship with his wife Isabel, their two children and his lover Gaveston. When the King banishes his military advisor Mortimer, he sets off a chain of devastating events. Benjamin’s richly-orchestrated score perfectly captures the drama’s intense emotions, while director Katie Mitchell provides a visually stunning contemporary staging, highlighting the timelessness of the opera’s main themes. The composer himself conducts a superb international cast. "… the music, written and compellingly conducted by Mr. Benjamin, is unapologetically modernist, while the libretto, by Mr. Crimp, is often cryptic. Without pandering, they’ve made another significant contribution to the art form. In the queen, Mr. Benjamin has created another remarkable role for Ms. Hannigan’s immense vocal gifts and comprehensive musicianship. He writes lines that shift from earthy emotionalism to angelic purity, knowing that this artist can handle those pivots. He takes advantage of her focused intonation and rhythmic precision to lend even anguished passages structural strength. But it’s Mr. Benjamin’s remarkable music that gives the work its charge: The writing is so lush, haunting and detailed — radiant one moment, piercingly dissonant the next — that you are continuously enveloped by the raucous beauty of the sounds." (New York Times)

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Melly Still's production for Glyndebourne finds the "delicate balance between whimsy and mysticism" (Daily Telegraph) at the heart of the opera, which Vladimir Jurowski conducts "with lustrous style: you can hear the birds in the score, feel the sunshine and thrill to the starlit night sky in the final scene" (Opera Today).

Directed by Robin Lough. Starring Jeremy Carpenter, Clive Bayley, Mark Stone.

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Part of Royal Opera's Britten centenary celebrations � 'Susan Bullock is an awe-inspiring Gloriana... Toby Spence, as Essex, has regained all his pristine vocal lustre' The Independent � 'Director Richard Jones... staging... is both moving and surprising... ' The Daily Telegraph � Extra features: Inside Rehearsals, Gloriana Behind the Scenes, cast gallery.

Wallfisch: Escape Velocity

Also available on Blu-ray

This collection consists of George Benjamin and Martin Crimp’s two award-winning full-length operas, in visually stunning productions by critically acclaimed director Katie Mitchell. Written on Skin has been hailed as ‘magic and irresistible … the best opera written over the last twenty years’ (Le Monde). It tells the story of a cruel and powerful Protector who asks a mysterious Boy to create an illuminated book to celebrate his wealth and family. He invites the Boy into his home, little realizing that this will lead to a journey of startling, joyful and ultimately tragic self-discovery for his oppressed and much younger wife Agnès. Drawing on the real-life relationship between Edward II and Piers Gaveston, Lessons in Love and Violence explores how personal relationships can have fatal political consequences. The King lives in a close but uneasy relationship with his wife Isabel, their two children and his lover Gaveston. When the King banishes his military advisor Mortimer, he sets off a chain of devastating events. The composer conducts two superb international casts, including soprano Barbara Hannigan, who appears in the leading roles of Agnès and Isabel.

Without doubt, Benjamin Britten (1913-76) left an indelible impression on all genres of 20th century English music. His vocal repertoire in smaller instrumentations is particularly fascinating. With three of Britten's "Canticles" as well as a selection of his best "realizations" (or "arrangements", if you will) of songs by Henry Purcell (1659-95), this recording provides an insight into the mature phase of the renaissance of the English song. The "Canticles" (Nos. 1-3) presented on this recording are masterful, morally charged pieces. They require the singer and pianist to pay careful attention to the text, which Britten uses as a starting point for all his works. The "Purcell Realizations" further illustrate Benjamin Britten's genius. Benjamin Britten creates the ideal balance between an incredibly captivating music and the service of the text without overburdening its message. This recording illustrates Britten's outstanding position among the song composers of the 20th century.

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Benjamin Schweitzer began his musical studies at the junior department of the Lubeck Music Academy. At age sixteen, he received several prizes at composition and instrumental competitions for young musicians. He completed his studies at the Dresden Music Academy and spent a year studying with Paavo Heininen at the Sibelius Academy. The chamber music works compiled on this recording, performed by the Ensemble Courage led by Titus Engel, were written between 2005 and 2008. They document the composer's quest for something one could describe as "beauty." Schweitzer leaves aside components such as melodic elements and virtuoso figurations in favor of extremely fine gradations of a few chosen sounds and textures.