Opera Double Bill: Sāvitri & Blond Eckbert

  • From to
  • 7pm
An illuminated rectangle in the middle of a forest

Tickets

About this event:

Category:
Opera
Event type:
Booking required | In-person
Admission:
£25 (£15 concessions) +bkg fee
Location:
Silk Street Theatre

Digital Programme

Event information

Holst Sāvitri
Judith Weir Blond Eckbert
 

Two imaginative and haunting British chamber operas from opposite ends of the 20th century feature in Guildhall School’s summer opera double bill., directed by Ashley Dean and conducted by Timothy Redmond.

Composed in 1916, Holst’s 35-minute opera Sāvitri tells the story of the title character’s devotion to her husband Satyavan in the face of Death. Based on an episode from a Sanskrit epic, Holst used his studies of this ancient language to translate the story into his own English libretto, which combines with colourful orchestration to explore the power of love and questions of mortality.

Judith Weir also wrote her own libretto for her 1993 work Blond Eckbert, taking inspiration from the dark fairy tale by Romantic German writer Ludwig Tieck. The eerie and captivating opera by the Master of the King’s Music tells the story of Eckbert and his wife Berthe, whose solitary life together in the forest unravels after a mysterious visitor opens up a disturbing door to the past. This Guildhall production offers the chance to hear the one-act, pocket version of the opera.
 

“One of the gems of early 20th-century British music” – The Guardian on Sāvitri

“Hauntingly beautiful” – The Telegraph on Blond Eckbert
 

Approximate running time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including interval)

Please note that this production contains adult content, including themes of violence, death, suicide and mental illness. Haze will be used.

Programme & Creative team

Timothy Redmond Q&A

Hear from conductor Timothy Redmond to find out more about the works being performed in this double bill, and his special family connection with Holst's opera.
conductor Timothy Redmond

Venue information

Silk Street Theatre, Music Hall and Lecture Recital Room are located in the main Guildhall School building on Silk Street and for Barbican produced events the venue can also be accessed from the Barbican if you exit via the doors next to Barbican Kitchen on Level G. 

Address:
Silk Street
Barbican
EC2Y 8DT
View us on Google Maps
Accessibility:
Accessibility
Parking:
Parking available

Parking information

Related events