“What would you think of a ‘fellatio-aria’? Starts with words, ends with humming.” With this rather unusual question, librettist Philip Hensher brought a notorious scandal to the attention of composer Thomas Adès. And he thought the story about Margaret Campbell, nicknamed “the Dirty Duchess”, was ideal opera material! Adès was only 23 in 1995 when he wrote Powder Her Face. This chamber opera for four soloists is based on a (true) sex scandal that occurred in 1963. As a result, the Duchess of Argyll – a notorious libertine socialite in the United Kingdom – fell into disgrace among British high society. She shocked the deeply conservative “common decency” of her age due to her very public divorce. The press had a field day covering her sexual predilections and “deviance”. “Be discrete, be good, be brutal,” Adès has the female avatar of Don Juan sing. He wrote a mischievous libretto, which playfully blends the popular culture of cabaret, musical, and tango. It is also a tribute to the musical daring of Alban Berg, Benjamin Britten, and Stravinsky. Powder Her Face has become one of the classics of contemporary English-language music. The New York Times described Adès as “One of the most accomplished and complete musicians of his generation”, while Le Figaro likewise showered him with praise: “Thomas Adès est l’un des plus brillants compositeurs d’aujourd’hui.” This production will be conducted by Alejo Pérez, and was directed by the Pole Mariusz Trelinski, the artistic director of the National Opera of Warsaw, which co-produced this opera.
POWDER HER FACE
22/9 > 3/10, Les Halles, www.demunt.be, www.lamonnaie.be
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