Summary

Britten Sinfonia and Richard Alston Dance Company revive their Olivier Award nominated partnership as part of Britten Dances – Aldeburgh Music’s Britten Weekend.

The performance presents a compelling combination of Benjamin Britten’s music with choreography by Richard Alston, one of the most influential figures in dance, internationally recognised for his instinctive musicality. The programme features the world premiere of Alston’s choreography to Britten’s string orchestra arrangement of his beloved Henry Purcell’s Chacony.

The taut drama of Phaedra (nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production), contrasts with his succinctly intimate Holderlin Fragments. Rejoice in the Lamb ‘matches the charm of the music and whimsy of the text, and suggests the filtering, imagistic quality of Smart’s imagination’ – The New York Times. And the sheer exhilaration of Les Illuminations takes wild imagery from the life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud and lifts it to the heights in Britten’s inspired setting.

Britten Sinfonia, Pekka Kuusisto and Allison Cook resume their acclaimed collaboration with Richard Alston Dance Company, performing on-stage with leading tenors, Mark Padmore, Aldeburgh Voices and Andrew West.

Presented by Aldeburgh Music and DanceEast.