Grange Park Opera

A mystic pantomime from this hugely popular composer

Mysticism lies at the heart of Sir John Tavener’s output. His quest to reflect in music different forms of spirituality has led to his huge popular appeal, with works like The Protecting Veil and Song for Athene.

Over a long composing career, Tavener was variously drawn to Roman Catholicism, Greek and Russian Orthodox traditions and Islam. In Krishna, one of his final works, he embraces Hinduism.

15 vignettes from the life of Krishna form what Tavener dubbed a mystic pantomime, mixing dance with ritualised tableaux as only this composer could.

Krishna is born when the earth – a weeping cow – cries for help. As a child he plays with mud. His mother prizes opens his mouth and sees inside all of heaven and the universe. He steals the clothes of the Gopi cow-girls and adores Radha. In the final vignette, Krishna is assumed into Paradise until the earth needs him again.

Krishna, enacted by four voices, is given a mystic halo of eight distant flutes (four of them alto flutes).

Krishna had never been performed at the time of Tavener’s death in 2013. We are hugely excited to have constructed a performing edition, making this the world premiere his visionary work.

Cast & Creatives

CELESTIAL NARRATOR ∙ ROSS RAMGOBIN
BHUMI as a weeping cow ∙ SARA FULGONI
YASHODI, Krishna’s mother ∙ SARA FULGONI
KRISHNA as an adolescent ∙ ELIRAN KADUSSI
KRISHNA as a young man ∙ ELGAN LLŶR THOMAS
KRISHNA as a man ∙ BRETT POLEGATO
RADHA, Krishna’s childhood sweetheart ∙ JULIA SITKOVETSKY
RUKMINI, Krishna’s wife ∙ NAZAN FIKRET

CONDUCTOR ∙ MARK SHANAHAN
DIRECTOR ∙ SIR DAVID POUNTNEY
DESIGNER ∙ RACHANA JADHAV
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL