The Knot Garden - Production details


Opera in three acts (1966-70)
80 minutes
Text by the composer (English/German)

Faber, a civil engineer aged about 35 - robust baritone Thea, his wife; a gardener - dramatic mezzo Flora, their ward, an adolescent girl - light high soprano Denise, Thea's sister; a dedicated Freedom-fighter - dramatic soprano Mel, a negro writer in his late twenties - lyric bass baritone Dov, his white friend; a musician - lyric tenor Mangus, an analyst - high tenor baritone

2 (2 piccolos) 1 cor anglais clarinet in E flat 2 (2: bass clarinet) 1 contrabassoon - 4 4 2 1 - timpani percussion (3 players: side drum, tenor drum, bass drum, jazz kit, cymbal, suspended cymbal, wood blocks, temple blocks, tambourine, castanets, whip, metal bar or heavy triangle, tam-tam, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, claves, small rattle) - harp celesta piano electric guitar/electric harpsichord - strings


Reduced version (Meirion Bowen):
1 (piccolo) 1 (cor anglais) 1 (clarinet in E flat, bass clarinet) 1 (contrabassoon) - 3 2 2 0 - percussion (2 players: timpani, tenor drum, jazz kit, cymbal, temple blocks, tambourine, castanets, metal bar or heavy triangle, tam-tam, vibraphone, glockenspiel, tubular bells, claves, rattle) - harp piano (celesta) electric guitar - strings: 3 violins (3: viola) viola cello double bass


Vocal score ED 11075
Libretto ED 11075a

Commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. First performance conducted by Sir Colin Davis and produced by Sir Peter Hall at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2 December 1970.

  • Faber: Raimund Herincx
  • Thea: Yvonne Minton / Katherine Pring
  • Flora: Jill Gomez
  • Denise: Josephine Barstow
  • Mel: Thomas Carey
  • Dov: Robert Tear
  • Mangus: Thomas Hernsley

First performance of reduced version by Opera Factory London Sinfonietta conducted by Howard Williams and directed by David Freeman at the Wilde Theatre, Bracknell, 23 May 1984

  • Faber: Tom Mc Donnell
  • Thea: Christine Botes
  • Flora: Janis Kelly
  • Denise: Marie Angel
  • Mel: Omar Ebrahim
  • Dov: Nigel Robson
  • Mangus: Philip Doghan


1972 Royal Opera House
Director: Peter Hall
Conductor: Colin Davis


1974 Northwestern University
Director: Robert Gay
Conductor: Bernard Rubenstein


1984 London Sinfonietta Opera Factory
Director: David Freeman
Conductor: Howard Williams
(reduced version)


1987 Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen
Director: Peter Theiler
Conductor: Johannes Kalitzke


1988 Royal Opera House
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Conductor: Sian Edwards


1989 Melbourne Spoleto Festival
Director: Barrie Kosky
Conductor: Brian Stacey
(reduced version)


1990 University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Director: Malcolm Fraser
Conductor: Gerhard Samuel
(reduced version)


1991 Boston University School of Music (New Music Harvest)
Director: Will Graham
Conductor: David Hoose
(reduced version)


1994 ARCAL (a La Ferme du Buisson)
Director: Christian Gagneron
Conductor: Philippe Nahon
(reduced version)


1994 London Royal Schools / Royal College of Music
Director: Mike Ashman
Conductor: James Lockhart
(reduced version)


1998 Taschenoper Wien
Conductor: Peter Bergamin
(reduced version)