The Royal Hunt of the Sun

The Royal Hunt Of The Sun tells the story of the conflict between 16^th-century Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro and Atahuallpa, the last Emperor of the Inca in Peru. As the work progresses, Pizzaro must come to terms with his increasingly close relationship to Atahuallpa, despite pressure from the Royal Veedor and the Spanish priests to remain detached from both him and his people. With music and a libretto by Iain Hamilton, The Royal Hunt of the Sun was premiered by the English National Opera in 1977 and remains a poignant and relevant drama about the tragedy of colonization.