George Benjamin's Picture a day like this

Consumed by grief after the death of her child, a woman is promised the opportunity to bring the infant back to life: during the course of one day she has to find a happy person. It proves harder than she (or we) would like. But towards the end of her increasingly desperate journey, will her final encounter, with the enigmatic owner of a splendid garden, change her fate?

Picture a day like this, which contains language and themes that some might find offensive and disturbing, is George Benjamin's eagerly awaited fourth opera with librettist Martin Crimp, a moving fable of human nature and self-discovery.

Recorded at the Linbury Theatre of the Royal Opera House and presented by Andrew McGregor.

George Benjamin: Picture a day like this

Woman ….. Ema Nikolovska (mezzo-soprano)
Zabelle ….. Jacquelyn Stucker (soprano)
Lover 1/Composer ..... Beate Mordal (soprano)
Lover 2/Composer's Assistant ….. Cameron Shahbazii (countertenor)
Artisan/Collector ….. John Brancy (baritone)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Carden
Corinna Niemeyer (conductor)

Read the full synopsis on the Royal Opera House website: https://bit.ly/46mkrgy

7.45 pm
George Benjamin introduces his favourite opera, Janáček's Káťa Kabanová. 'A perfect opera' he calls it, at once violent and painful, compassionate and touching.

Janáček: Káťa Kabanová

Káťa ..... Amanda Majeski (soprano)
Boris ..... Simon O’Neill (tenor)
Kabanicha .....Katarina Dalayman (mezzo-soprano)
Tichon ..... Andrew Staples (tenor)
Kudrjaš ..... Ladislav Elgr (tenor)
Varvara ..... Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano)
Dikój ..... Pavlo Hunka (bass-baritone)
Glaša; Fekluša ..... Claire Barnett-Jones (mezzo-soprano)
Kuligin ..... Lukáš Zeman (baritone)

London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
(Recorded in January at the Barbican Hall, London)