THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Pick a theme... and name your seven favourite examples

- Hannah Nepilova

Operatic director Thomas Guthrie selects the best examples of music inspired by ancient mythology

Thomas Guthrie is a director, composer, fiddle player and baritone. He studied Classics at Cambridge University before pursuing vocal studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, eventually transitioning to directing. Since then, his productions have included Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at the Royal Opera House and Verdi's Aida at the Liceu in Barcelona. But he is perhaps best defined by his stripped-down, actor-driven work, often involving puppetry. For the 2025 London Handel Festival he created an opera from two Handel works: the cantata Apollo e Dafne and the oratorio The Choice of Hercules. In August, he directs a day-to-night concert of Tavener’s The Veil of the Temple for the opening of the Edinburgh Festival.

Handel Apollo e Dafne

Apollo and Dafne, which tells of a god falling passionately and unrequitedly in love with a nymph, is one of my all-time favourite myths. On some level you could see it as a rape myth; Apollo is so convinced that he wants to be with Dafne that he just doesn't give up. I see it as a story about consent; about how relationships can polarise. And what I love about Handel's cantata is its humane, psychological portrayal of the myth: in his version, Apollo has a sincere and genuine love for Dafne.

Handel The Choice of Hercules