Written on Skin by George Benjamin: Aspects of the Plot and Libretto of the Opera Masterpiece of Our Days

The 20th century in the musical art was marked by relentless changes and experiments which we are still observing. Many things were questioned, including the possibility of the existence of such a traditional genre as opera in the current artistic realities. However, modern composers continue to create operas that inherit the best examples of this genre and win the interest of the public, preserving the continuity of tradition and at the same time setting a vector for further development. One of them is the world-renowned British author George Benjamin. His second opera Written on Skin (2012) can without exaggeration be considered a masterpiece of contemporary musical theater. A clear confirmation of this is its great demand among theatrical intendents and the public. Since its inception, the opera has traveled almost all over the world and continues its triumphant march around the world to this day. The secret of such success lies largely in the successfully found balance of the new and traditional, manifested at all levels of the work. The focus of this article is on the plot and libretto of the opera. The text, created by the English playwright Martin Crimp, is based on a legendary and shocking story. Despite the fact that the creation of an opera based on the plot of a medieval legend is quite traditional in itself, the motives touched upon in the text excite with their sharpness, and the playwright’s style with originality and special expressiveness.