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Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur Kicks Off Ireland's Wexford Opera Festival

Oct. 01, 2008

Richard Rodney Bennett's powerful opera The Mines of Sulphur opens this year's Wexford Opera Festival in the south of Ireland on October 17 and continues with five performances through November 1. In a new production directed by Michael Barker-Cave with Stewart Robertson conducting and Joe Vanek as designer, this dark tale of morality, with its stunningly effective harmonic language, is sure to entrance the Wexford audience. Deservedly back in the repertoire thanks to a production at Glimmerglass in 2004 and the subsequent New York City premiere at New York City Opera in 2005, this work is as fresh as ever. The Glimmerglass recording of the opera received the Grammy nomination for "Best Opera Recording" in 2007. Hailed by the New York Times as, "an exciting addition to the discography of 20th-century opera", the recording of the Glimmerglass production was also selected as "Best Classical Recording" of 2005 by the French newspaper Le Monde. Remarking on the Glimmerglass revival of The Mines of Sulphur, Bennett said, "it was such a wonderful surprise to witness a new life for this work, and in such a marvelous production." Allan Kozinn of the New York Times writes of its New York City Opera debut:

Sir Richard's music is perfectly suited to Beverly Cross' story... often his vocal lines soar, and they are supported by a vivid, lush and constantly moving orchestral score that tells listeners as much about the characters - and the supernatural undercurrents - as the arias.

Learn more on the life and music of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett at www.universaledition.com.

Find out more on the Wexford Opera Festival by visiting www.wexfordopera.com

Sir Richard Rodney Bennett
The Mines of Sulphur (1963)
opera in three acts
libretto (En) by Beverly Cross
for soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, 2 tenor, baritone, bass baritone and orchestra
180'

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