London Sinfonietta perform Louis Andriessen’s Anaïs Nin and De Staat at Queen Elizabeth Hall, by Gabriel Kellett

Plato and Anaïs in the School of Athens

London Sinfonietta perform Louis Andriessen at Queen Elizabeth Hall

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
April 14th, 2011

Louis Andriessen

Anaïs Nin
De Staat

London Sinfonietta
David Atherton, conductor
Cristina Zavalloni, soprano
Synergy Vocals, singers
Sound Intermedia, sound projection

Years before I ever picked up any of their books, I was fascinated by the idea of the 'Lost Generation' of American writers in Paris between the World Wars; now that I've actually read The Great Gatsby, theTropics of Cancer and Capricorn, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms and even a couple of Anaïs Nin's books (Gertrude Stein's going to have to wait, though), I felt I couldn't pass up the chance to hear this UK premiere of the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen's piece inspired by Nin's relationships with several of her many lovers from that time—among them her father.

Read the full review on the Berkshire Review, an International journal for the Arts!