Birtwistle: Minotaur Blu-ray (The Royal Opera)

Birtwistle: Minotaur Blu-ray (The Royal Opera) tells the story of the half-man half-beast Minotaur who is trapped in a labyrinth and seeks to find his true identity and voice. Theseus, who has been sent to Crete as a debt sacrifice, is determined to defeat the monstrous creature. His success is aided by Ariadne, the Minotaur's half-sister and keeper.

Captured here in High Definition video and surround sound, the cast is led by a sublime John Tomlinson as the Minotaur. They rise to great heights under the direction of Antonio Pappano, whose navigation of the monumental musical landscapes carries an intense authority.

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Composer:Harrison Birtwistle
The Minotaur: John Tomlinson
Theseus: Johan Reuter
Ariadne: Christine Rice
Snake Priestess: Andrew Watts
Hiereus: Philip Langridge 

Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Director and second Conductor: Renato Balsadonna
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Antonio Pappano 
Stage Director: Stephen Langridge
Set and Costumes: Alison Chitty
Lighting: Paul Pyant
Choreography: Philippe Giraudeau
Video Designs: Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for Fifty Nine Productions 

Plus: ‘Myth is Universal' documentary

Video codec: AVC/MPEG-4
Disc size: BD50
Picture format: 1080i High Definition / 16:9
Sound format: 2.0 & 5.0 PCM (TBC)
Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
Region code: All regions
Running time: 175 mins
Recorded: 2008