European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

Glyndebourne Presents World Premiere of Peter Eötvös' Love and Other Demons

Aug. 01, 2008

This month England's Glyndebourne Festival presents the world premiere of Peter Eötvös' opera Love and Other Demons directed by Silviu Purcarete, featuring Vladimir Jurowski leading the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Chorus. With a libretto by Hungarian author Kornél Hamvai based on the novel by Gabriel García Márquez, Of Love and Other Demons, the opera traces the events that transpire after a young girl is bitten by a rabid dog in the slave market at the port of Cartagena de Indias. In a town where reason and superstition are at war, the concern quickly shifts from rabies to demonic possession. The girl finds herself imprisoned in the Convent of St. Clare, where Cayetano Delaura, the bishop's exorcist, comes to drive out her demons, only to eventually fall madly in love with the girl and become possessed by that most terrible of all demons. Peter Eötvös comments:

This is the first time that I have composed not for a theatre piece but instead with a libretto created from a novel. I was very enthusiastic about this story as it is full of fantasy but most of all love. For me this is fundamental - opera and love. I know the Glyndebourne audience as I have conducted here (The Makropoulos Case/Festival 2001). I had considered many other ideas but Márquez's story is one that will touch immediately the audience, especially the central issues of faith and different cultures. Most interesting of all is the element of fantasy. This fantasy world allows me freedom as a composer to concentrate on the music rather than the action. This work is my first opera about love and my first opera quasi bel canto. It gives each singer the chance to demonstrate the beauty of the voice.

The Glyndebourne Opera Festival presents eight performances of Love and Other Demons from August 10 through August 30. For precise information on the Glyndebourne's production, go to www.glyndebourne.com.

For more on the music of Peter Eötvös, visit www.schott-music.com.

Peter Eötvös
Love and Other Demons (2008)
opera in two acts
libretto (English, with parts in Yoruba, Latin and Spanish) by Kornél Hamvai
based on the novel Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez
2S, 2Mz, T, Bar, 2B;
222.bcl.sax.2 -2221-2perc-str(10.10.8.6.4 split in two equal groups opposite each other)
full evening

News