Harrison Birtwistle premiere, June 13 2010
The world premiere of Harrison Birtwistle's new work Angel Fighter takes place on Sunday 13 June at the Thomaskirche as part of the Leipzig Bach Festival. Scored for tenor, counter-tenor, chorus and ensemble it sets a new text by Stephen Plaice about the story of Jacob and the Angel. It is premiered by musikFabrik and RIAS Kammerchor under Stephen Asbury with soloists Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts (tenor) and William Towers (counter-tenor).

This month also sees the Dutch premiere of The Corridor at the Musiekgebouw Amsterdam as part of the Holland Festival. In a new staging by Pierre Audi, Elizabeth Atherton reprises her role as Woman with John Graham Hall taking the role of Man. Reinbert de Leeuw conducts the Asko Schoenberg Ensemble.

June 2010

Further details about Angel Fighter from Boosey and Hawkes

The Minotaur triumphs at Covent Garden
Harrison Birtwistle's new opera The Minotaur premiered on April 15 2008 at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden to rapturous reviews. Described as "an outstanding achievement" in The Guardian and a "glittering success" by The Independent it has been designed by Alison Chitty and also features Philip Langridge in the role of Heirus from Allied Artists.

Here are links to a selection of reviews in full:

Andrew Clements in The Guardian (5*****)

Anthony Holden in The Observer

Andrew Clark in The Financial Times

Michael Church in The Independent

Paul Driver in The Sunday Times

Anna Picard in The Independent on Sunday

George Hall in The Stage

George Loomis in The International Herald Tribune

Rupert Christiansen in The Daily Telegraph

Richard Morrison in The Times

April 2008