Into the Little Hill
Into the Little Hill is a 2006 chamber opera by British composer George Benjamin.
| Into the Little Hill | |
|---|---|
| Chamber opera by George Benjamin | |
| Librettist | Martin Crimp |
| Language | English |
| Based on | legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin |
| Premiere | 22 November 2006 Opéra Bastille, Paris |
Described by the composer as a "lyric tale in two parts", the libretto is by playwright Martin Crimp and it is Benjamin's first stage work. They have since collaborated on a further two operas, Written on Skin (2012) and Lessons in Love and Violence (2018). All three works draw upon medieval subject matter in some way, and Into the Little Hill is a modern retelling of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Crimp has stated that he was introduced to Benjamin by musicologist Laurence Dreyfus.
The piece was commissioned by Festival d'Automne à Paris. It premiered at Opéra Bastille on 22 November 2006, conducted by Franck Ollu, directed by Daniel Jeanneteau, and performed by Anu Komsi and Hilary Summers with instrumentalists from Ensemble Modern. It has since been performed in over 100 productions in Europe, North America, China, Australia. It is approximately 40 minutes in length.