Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia premiered in 1946, a year after the end of World War II. A war that scarred the whole of Europe and its society to this day. War destroys the fibre of society, and violence begets violence. During World War II, crime increased dramatically in Britain – and so did rape.
Britten’s Rape, like all rapes, is not merely a sexual act. It is a brutal and desperate attempt to assert power, to dominate the unattainable, to subjugate. The rape of Lucretia can be understood as an allegory, a representation of brutal violence between humans – violence leaving irreparable scars. Lucretia is driven to an act of desperation, as we watch in despair.
In samenwerking met de International Opera Academy & Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
Benjamin Britten
The Rape of Lucretia
Composer: Benjamin Britten
Librettist: Ronald Duncan
Conductor: Filip Rathé
Director: Carlos Wagner
Scenography and costumes: Alejandro Andújar
Light design: Glen D'Haesens
Direction's assistant: Karine Haesselein
Musical coach: Hein Boterberg
English Language coach: Rachel Harland
Cast
Students of the International Opera Academy
Ensemble: SPECTRA
Coproduction: International Opera Academy & Opera Ballet Vlaanderen