The Rite of Spring

Two pieces this evening were commissioned at the turn of the millennium. The first is Adès’ America: A Prophecy – an apocalyptic piece incorporating Mayan verse and Spanish flamboyance. Tonight we hear the UK premiere of the expansion of this powerful work which features celebrated American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and the Hallé Choir. The second is the late Saariaho’s Oltra Mar – a work in seven movements, exploring themes of love, death an...