Thomas Adès, who conducted the premiere of The Tempest, was 32 years old at the time of its first performances.
Composition History
Thomas Adès's opera, The Tempest, was commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and premiered in February 2004.
Composition History
The libretto for The Tempest was written by Meredith Oakes, who compressed Shakespeare's original play into concise couplets and rhymes suitable for opera.
Recording & Production
This recording of The Tempest is based on live performances from a 2007 revival at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with several principal singers reprising their roles.
Compositional Technique
The opera's chromatic, storm-tossed prelude was composed just days before its first performance.
Compositional Technique
The Tempest features extreme vocal casting, including Caliban as a high lyrical tenor (instead of a conventional bass) and Ariel as a stratospheric soprano.
