Admin

Organization

Singer

Countertenor

Bejun Mehta

1. Angel

Mezzo-soprano

Victoria Simmonds

2. Angel

Tenor

Allan Clayton

3. Angel

Conductor

George Benjamin

Stage director

Katie Mitchell

Set designer

Vicki Mortimer

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Jon Clark

Baritone

Christopher Purves

Protector

Soprano

Barbara Hannigan

Agnès

Festival d'Aix en Provence

Orchestra

Mahler Chamber Orchestra

English

Written on Skin

Aix-en-Provence

France

Grand Théâtre de Provence

With George Benjamin conducting, Barbara Hannigan as Agnès, Christopher Purves as the landowner, and Bejun Mehta as the amorous artist, the world premiere production of Written on Skin was a wild success, declared by ecstatic music critics to be the “best opera written in the past 20 years.” (Renaud Machart, Le Monde July 9th, 2012) This filmed version of Written on Skin captures that world premiere performance at the 2012 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.

Inspired by a 12th-century Occitan legend, Written on Skin tells a tale of burning passions and barbaric acts. A rich landowner (Christopher Purves) invites an artist (Bejun Mehta) to his home to complete an illuminated book depicting his despotic power over both his wife Agnès (Barbara Hannigan) and their servants. Tired of being seen as a helpless child by her husband, Agnès attempts to influence the book’s writing, hoping to reveal who she truly is. Agnès forms a close relationship with the artist (“The Boy”), and the two eventually fall in love, beginning their journey toward their horrible end...

Picture: © Festival d'Aix-en-Provence 2012 @ArtcomArt/P.Victor

French

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading