Heart of Darkness South Bank Nomination
2nd April 2012
The one-act opera tells the story of a sea captain and his journey up the river of an equatorial forest to find an infamous ivory trader-turned warlord named Kurtz. However, upon finding the barbarian the protagonist’s expectations are far from met. He is committed to give an account of the disheartening events he witnesses to Kurtz’s fiancée, but cannot bring himself to do so.
O’Regan’s masterpiece stands beside opera contenders Berlioz’s Le Damnation de Faust and Thomas’s Mignon. Further classical nominees include Harrison Birtwistle and Sir Colin Davis, and from the pop category albums by Adele and Kate Bush.
The awards will be hosted by Melvyn Bragg and will be broadcast on Sky Arts 1 at 9pm on May 1.
