Clorinda Agonistes (Clorinda The Warrior)

The story in Monteverdi’s ground-breaking operatic cantata, Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, tells of a love affair between a Saracen woman, Clorinda, renowned as a warrior and the Christian crusader Tancredi. Wearing full armour, she challenges him in combat and falls mortally wounded, only revealing her identity on her deathbed to his total dismay. Clorinda Agonistes is presented as a new dance-opera, performed live in both Monteverdi’s version and a newly commissioned piece by Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom. Created by award winning choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh CBE, the company returns to The Grange after their riveting performance of Contagion in Precipice in 2020. Tenor Ed Lyon (Belmonte in 2018) and Robert Hollingworth (of I Fagiolini) perform both works. This project explores current preoccupations of gender identity and east-west cultural relationships, as well as being a powerful fusion of dance and opera. This programme will be complimented by a first half of Balletic Dance performed by soloists from our national companies to be confirmed at a later date.