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Programme Note

A subtle reflection on the life of an artist, Philip Glass' second opera based on works by Cocteau, in its original version performed in conjunction with the projected film (with the original soundtrack eliminated entirely). Presented as a simple fairy tale, it soon becomes clear that the story has taken on a broader and deeper subject - the very nature of the creative process. Through an extraordinary alchemy of the spirit, the ordinary world is transformed into a world of magic. The power of the creative and the raw world of nature, represented respectively by Beauty and the Beast, finally emerges and allows the world of imagination to take flight.

© Philip Glass