Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Jonathan Dove
Swanhunter (2009)
(Opera in 1 Act)- Peters Edition Limited (World)
Libretto by Alasdair Middleton. Commissioned by Opera North. First performance: 13th November 2009 at the Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds, England, conduted by Stuart Stratford and directed by Clare Whistler.
- S,2Mz,2T,B + hn/perc/hp/acn/vn.db(+lowc)
- Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor, Tenor, Bass
- 1 hr 5 min
- Alasdair Middleton
- English
Programme Note
Commissioned by Opera North following the success of The Adventures of Pinocchio this chamber opera is written for a young audience but appeals to all ages. Inspired by the ancient Finnish folk-epic, the Kalevala, the tale is one of adventure and tasks of mythological magnitude not to speak of the rather grisly dismemberment of the hero.
Accompanied by a folk-inspired band, 6 singers play 10 characters and chorus. The opera celebrates the power of song, in the magic spells sung by the hero, Lemminkäinen; in the stratospheric writing for the Swan; and, most of all, in the finale, as the Mother sings her son back to life.
