BBC Proms - 2009 - Prom 39: Greenwood, Stravinsky, Birtwistle - Part 2

From the Royal Albert Hall, London. Presented by Sarah Walker. The BBC Symphony Orchestra performs the central act of Harrison Birtwistle's 'lyric tragedy' The Mask of Orpheus, in which the central character journeys to the Underworld through a series of 17 arches. The wind, brass and percussion of the orchestra are joined by the BBC Singers and an impressive cast of soloists, led by conductors Martyn Brabbins and Ryan Wigglesworth. This work was a high point in Birtwistle's longstanding and continuing obsession with the Orpheus myth. It took him a decade to compose, working with the librettist Peter Zinovieff and sound engineer Barry Anderson, who realised the electronic interludes. Harrison Birtwistle: The Arches (The Mask of Orpheus) Orpheus (the man) ...... Alan Oke (tenor) Orpheus (myth/puppet) ...... Thomas Walker (tenor) Euridice (the woman) ...... Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano) Euridice (the myth)/Persephone ...... Anna Stéphany (mezzo-soprano) Hecate ...... Claron McFadden (soprano) Charon/Caller/Hades ...... Andrew Slater (bass-baritone) Fury 1/Woman 1 ...... Rachel Nicolls (soprano) Fury 2/Woman 2 ...... Anna Dennis (soprano) Fury 3/Woman 3 ...... Louise Poole (mezzo-soprano) Judge 1 ...... Christopher Gillett (tenor) Judge 2 ...... Hakan Vramsmo (baritone) Judge 3 ...... Tim Mirfin (bass) BBC Singers BBC Symphony Orchestra Martyn Brabbins (conductor) Ryan Wigglesworth (2nd conductor) Ian Dearden (sound projection).