Kommilitonen!

Royal Academy Opera presents the world première of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies's latest opera (co-commissioned with The Juilliard School). With a libretto by David Pountney (who also directs), the title 'Kommilitonen!' means 'fellow students' and the opera consists of three interlocking stories of students involved in political action. One follows the activities of the group known as Die Weisse Rose at the University of Munich in the 1940s, who produced leaflets protesting against the Nationalist Socialist government until they were arrested and executed. The second follows two young people involved in the Cultural Revolution in China, in which they found themselves on opposite sides. The third is the story of James Meredith, who battled against racial prejudice to become the first black student to enrol at the University of Mississippi. The three stories unfold in parallel and eventually come together, in a climax of devastating emotional impact. Jane Glover conducts Royal Academy Opera and Music Sinfonia, with Carolyn Choa, choreographer, and Blind Summit Theatre.