Phaedra

with Jane Irwin

Handel	Concerto Grosso op. 6 no. 7 in B Flat Major
Purcell	'Dido's Lament' ; 'Hark! The Echoing Air'
Handel	'Ah Mio Cor' (from Alcina)
Biber	Battalia
Purcell	Dance of Furies
Purcell	Chacony in G
Purcell	Fantasia on One Note
Britten	Phaedra

Britten’s late masterpiece, Phaedra, is a compact, dramatic cantata scored for strings, harpsichord, and percussion, which features a demanding solo vocal part. The work’s compelling libretto is taken from Racine’s play - itself based on a mythological story of incestuous, and ultimately tragic, love in ancient Greece.

The dramatic story is matched by Britten’s tense, brooding, and potent score. Divided strings create rich, overlapping textures and the unusual combination of harpsichord and percussion sound a stark, desolate note to the proceedings.

Having sung with major opera houses and orchestras throughout the world, Jane Irwin joins the Scottish Ensemble for this concert, which also celebrates the Ensemble’s return from an 11-date US tour. Britten modelled his cantata on the form established by Handel, whose music also features throughout this programme. Several of the baroque string classics which complete the evening were enjoyed by audiences throughout the US tour, and are also based on dramatic, mythological stories

This concert is available as part of your 2012-13 SE subscription. You can save money and book by downloading the booking form for your local box office