Picture a Day Like This: Opéra Comique
About the Event
Crimp and Benjamin have crafted a tender, moving, and luminous masterpiece depicting various scenes. Presented continuously by exceptional performers under the direction of the composer, this work demonstrates that modern opera can be inventive, lyrical, and approachable.
A normal day. A tragic incident: the passing of a newborn leaves a woman pleading for a miracle. "All you have to do is find a truly happy individual before nightfall and take a button from their sleeve." Encounters of promise and disappointment unfold until the edge of a magical garden.
Premiering in 2023 at the Festival d’Aix‐en‐Provence with a libretto by Martin Crimp, this lyrical tale marks George Benjamin's fourth opera. Similar to the acclaimed Written on Skin in 2012, the Opéra‐Comique collaborated on this production, directed by Daniel Jeanneteau and Marie‐Christine Soma, for its Paris debut.
Crimp and Benjamin have crafted a delicate, touching, and radiant work capturing numerous vignettes. Presented seamlessly by exceptional artists under the composer's guidance, this creation showcases the potential of contemporary opera to be innovative, poetic, and accessible. Opera in one act. Original libretto by Martin Crimp. Premiered on 5th July 2023 at the Festival d'Aix‐en‐Provence.
Cast / Production
Musical direction & composer, George Benjamin • Stage direction, Marie‐Christine Soma and Daniel Jeanneteau • With Marianne Crebassa, Anna Prohaska, Beate Mordal, Cameron Shahbazi, John Brancy • Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
