The story will inevitably seem familiar; there must be few homes that have not been visited –at one time or another- by The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
However, the first incursion of George Benjamin into the world of opera goes far beyond a mere exercise in composing music for an innocent fable.
By means of a brilliant and hair-raising score, Into the Little Hill provides a metaphor about the fragility of the political and social structures in which we are immersed. Here, a political leader who aspires to be re-elected, makes a commitment to get rid of all the rats from the country, even though he is fully aware that they do not really cause any damage. Nevertheless, fulfilling this plan is not as simple as he has had explained during his electoral campaign.
Two female voices are responsible for the narration and interpretation of all the characters of this story of dire relevance.
Plagued by subtleties, Into the Little Hill reveals with very little effort, one of the most desolate dramas which continues without any type of resolution in the Twenty-first century.
