Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s iconic opera of the 1990s dramatises the mysterious Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with sombre, often shattering, power. He and librettist David Harsent cast the story in two cyclical acts, emphasising the ritual aspects of the epic saga, and lending it hieratic force. The part of the Green Knight was modelled on the range of Wotan from Wagner’s The Ring, and is pitted against the baritone Gawain. A rare opportunity to hear this striking modern classic, from an orchestra and conductor steeped in Birtwistle’s music.
