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Following the success of The Handmaid's Tale on CD in 2002, Dacapo Records is delighted to present the world premiere recording of Kafka's Trial, Poul Ruders' commission from the new Copenhagen Opera House in 2005. This time, Poul Ruders has chosen another nightmarish source of inspiration, namely Franz Kafka's legendary, claustrophobic novel The Trial from 1925. And once again British librettist has developed the literary source into a capturing opera score, weaving Kafka's own destiny into the intricate plot of the novel.

The title role as Kafka is performed by Dutch-born tenor Johnny van Hal, who is starring also in Dacapo's recent DVD production Antikrist. The other roles are performed by members of the Royal Danish Opera soloist ensemble and the mezzo-soprano, who achieved high critical acclaim for her title role performance in The Handmaid's Tale.

The young conductor Thomas Søndergård had a remarkable break-through with the Royal Danish Orchestra in his debut performance of Kafka's Trial. Søndergård proved his skills with his masterly handling of the orchestra which was acclaimed in numerous international reviews of the opera.