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George Benjamin

Sir George Benjamin is still relatively little known outside the classical world. Imagine... sets that straight.

He has been crowned with every laurel in contemporary classical music, composed operas which play on the world's most illustrious stages and been knighted for his services to music. Yet Sir George Benjamin is still relatively little known outside the classical world. Imagine... sets that straight. Intimate and humorous, this film tracks the creation of the British composer's latest opera Lessons in Love and Violence, which premiered at the Royal Opera House in London. The film follows his journey from composing songs aged three and being transfixed by Fantasia and 2001: Space Odyssey to his golden days as the youngest ever pupil of the legendary composer Olivier Messiaen in Paris. Early experiments with computers, a passion for folk instruments and virtuosity on the piano combined to produce the startling, moving music heard today.

50 minutes

Last on

Sun 5 May 201921:10GMT

Credits

RoleContributor
PresenterAlan Yentob
ParticipantGeorge Benjamin
Executive ProducerTanya Hudson
Series EditorAlan Yentob
ProducerJill Nicholls
DirectorJill Nicholls

Broadcasts

  • Sat 4 May 201902:10GMT
  • Sat 4 May 201915:10GMT
  • Sun 5 May 201909:10GMT
  • Sun 5 May 201921:10GMT