Details

Based on the 1979 novel by William Styron. Sophie's Choice is an aching tale of longing and loss, a bittersweet and shockingly intimate look into one woman's soul. The story of the haunted refugee Sophie, is told through the eyes of Stingo, a struggling writer who is as bewitched by Sophie's lovely body as he is intrigued by her elusive past. In an effort to understand her and her troubled, all consuming relationship with her lover, Nathan, Stingo gently peels away the layers of half-truths and self-deceptions with which Sophie has armoured herself. What he discovers encapsulates all the horror of the Nazi regime in one unimaginable act. Commissioned by BBC Radio 3 in association with the Royal Opera House. Supported (2002) by the Benefactors' Circle. This is the first newly commissioned opera to be performed at Covent Garden since Alexander Goehr's Ariane in 1995, and it will be the first commission to receive its world premiere in the new building. The production will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC4. Sung in English with English surtitles. Approx. running time 3 hours 30 minutes. Supported (2002) by the Benefactors' Circle and Charles P Russell and the Jewish Community Endowment Fund.

Cast/Performers

Angelika Kirchschlager (Sophie), Rodney Gilfry (Nathan), Dale Duesing (Narrator), Gordon Gietz (Stingo), Jorma Silvasti (Rudolph Franz Hoss), Alan Opie (Doctor), Frances McCafferty (Yetta Zimmerman), Stafford Dean (Zbigniew Bieganski), Stephanie Friede (Wanda), Gillian Knight (Old Woman), Quentin Hayes (Larry Landau), Adrian Clarke (Librarian)

Creatives/Company

Music: Nicholas Maw
Company: Royal Opera
Director: Trevor Nunn
Conductor: Simon Rattle
Design: Rob Howell
Lighting: Mark Henderson