Thomas Adès and Philip Hensherâ??s dazzlingly precocious chamber opera Powder Her Face propelled its composer to international attention after its premiere in 1995 and with nearly 300 worldwide performances remains one of the most frequently performed British operas of the last two decades. Charting the glamorous rise and seedy fall of the notorious socialite beauty Margaret Duchess of Argyll…

Par ADES THOMAS. A paraphrase in the manner of Liszt or Busoni, this brilliant, quick-witted reworking of music from four scenes of Adès’s scandalous – and hugely successful ­ ­– first opera Powder Her Face is a virtuosic tour de force. The fifteen-minute work was premiered by its composer in 2010 and has since been taken up by pianists internationally. / Piano Music / Répertoire / Piano