Pigmalion is a talented sculptor, carving his ideal woman, much to the dismay of his fiancée, Céphise. As the statue takes shape, he appeals to the goddess Venus to bring his artwork to life, and everyone’s fortunes are changed when la statue transforms, awakes – and dances.
Rameau’s opera, written over 270 years ago, feels very much of our times, exploring themes of love, narcissism, gender, creative genius, power and image culture.
Dunedin Consort
John Butt harpsichord & director
Nicholas Mulroy Pigmalion
Anna Dennis L’Amour
Hilary Cronin Céphise
Zöe Brookshaw La statue animée
Rowdy SS creative director
Claricia Parinussa performance artist
Rebecca Bellantoni performance artist
Spitalfields Music thank Brian Smith for his support of this performance
We’ve been working with our wonderful friend from Thoroughly Good, Jon Jacob, on a series of podcasts for you to listen to pre (or post!) our events. We hope you enjoy listening!
Episode 1: What’s in the Spitalfields Festival 2021
Jon Jacob speaks to composers Errollyn Wallen, Edmund Finnis, Howard Goodall, and David Fennessey about their new works, including a tribute to those carers who lost their lives in the first wave of the COVID pandemic.
