Work of the Week - John Casken: Deadly Pleasures

On 7 June 2009 John Casken's new composition Deadly Pleasures will be premiered at Ulverston Festival 2009 by Austrian actress Johanna Lonsky as the narrator and a mixed ensemble of saxophone, trumpet, piano and violin. The work has been commissioned by Counterpoise with funds from the PRS Foundation for new music.

DM Thomas' "Ararat" is a tale within a tale, providing an intriguing starting point for John Casken’s new work. Casken has chosen to base the piece around the portion of Thomas' novel which completes Pushkin's poem 'Egyptian Nights'. Written in 1835, it tells the story of three men who accept the challenge to make love to Cleopatra but who have to pay with their lives. The first two lovers are executed but the third turns out to be Cleopatra’s son who in turn executes the executioner.

This summer, on 15 July, John Casken is celebrating his 60th birthday. This event is surrounded by a number of festivals and concerts featuring his works. Please see Casken's profile page for more details on upcoming events.

• John Casken - Profil
• Ulverston Festival