Marnie

[Dave2002]

Anyone intending to try Marnie at ENO?

https://www.eno.org/whats-on/marnie/

[seabright]

Anyone intending to try Marnie at ENO?

https://www.eno.org/whats-on/marnie/

I wonder how the music will compare to Bernard Herrmann's score for the Hitchcock movie ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGtLFJGXcrs

[Richard Barrett]

I wonder how the music will compare to Bernard Herrmann's score for the Hitchcock movie ...

The music will no doubt be the kind of "accessible" post-minimalistic fare that is capitalism's equivalent of Soviet socialist realism... interestingly, though, IIRC Hitchcock himself wasn't so happy with Herrmann's score and didn't hire him for his next film (Torn Curtain).

[seabright]

Actually, Hitchcock did hire Herrmann for "Torn Curtain" but by then the movie studios wanted something "pop" and "with it" that would help sell the film, to youngsters in particular. Herrmann wasn't about to write a "pop" score for anyone, so when Hitchcock turned up at the film's first recording session and heard a massive symphony orchestra blaring out a grandiose score, he fired Herrmann on the spot. John Addison was brought in to write the music instead but it didn't help "Torn Curtain." Indeed, without Herrmann's music, none of Hitchcock's subsequent films had the same impact as "Psycho," "Vertigo," "North-by-Northwest," and "The Man Who Knew Too Much," in which Herrmann himself appeared in the Royal Albert Hall sequence conducting Arthur Benjamin's "Storm Clouds" Cantata.

[Richard Barrett]

Actually, Hitchcock did hire Herrmann for "Torn Curtain" but by then the movie studios wanted something "pop" and "with it" that would help sell the film, to youngsters in particular. Herrmann wasn't about to write a "pop" score for anyone, so when Hitchcock turned up at the film's first recording session and heard a massive symphony orchestra blaring out a grandiose score, he fired Herrmann on the spot.

I stand corrected! and I just found an interesting and detailed article on the subject: http://neilsinyard.britishtelevisiondrama.org.uk/?p=56

[Dave2002]

Somewhat to my surprise, looking at the seat areas for bookings for this suggests that there is already a not inconsiderable interest. However, it's not clear whether the balcony will be open, or whether the seats in that area have already sold out.

I've never heard anything by Nico Muhly, so I can't comment at present on what it might turn out like.

[french frank]

capitalism's equivalent of Soviet socialist realism

[doversoul1]

I thought this was an interesting discussion/ conversation.

Matthew Sweet discusses memory and Marnie with novelist and Freud scholar Lisa Appignanesi, Andrew Graham - son of the novelist Winston Graham who wrote the 1961 novel which Alfred Hitchcock turned into a film in 1964, Gwyneth Hughes - director of 'The Girl' - and Hitchcock and Marnie scholar Murray Pomerance

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b098n4j4

[NickWraight]

It might be worthy saying that the new Muhly opera is based on the book by Winston Graham (of Poldark fame) and not the Hitchcock film. I am going to the first stage / orchestral run through next Monday and will report back.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Many thanks - I shall look forward to reading your reactions, NickW.

[Stanley Stewart]

Pleased to see Marnie scheduled for broadcast, Opera on R3, Sat, 9 Dec, 18.30-21.00hrs;
Dec issue of BBC Music magazine, page 119.

[Dave2002]

It might be worthy saying that the new Muhly opera is based on the book by Winston Graham (of Poldark fame) and not the Hitchcock film. I am going to the first stage / orchestral run through next Monday and will report back.

I've still not decided - to go, or not to go - so I look forward to your comments on this.

I've not been exactly short of opera experiences this year - I'm over a dozen already.

[bluestateprommer]

Just found the New York Times review by Zachary Woolfe (yes, the NYT allowed a critic to traipse to London for this one), and ZW is not impressed:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/19/arts/music/review-nico-muhly-marnie-english-national-opera-metropolitan.html

Given that this opera is set to travel to the Met down the line, this may not bode well critically (unless Tommasini reviews it here rather than ZW giving it another go).

PS: OT, but should the separate Khovanshchina thread be moved to the "A Night at the Opera" subsection? Sorry to pick nits.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

OT, but should the separate Khovanshchina thread be moved to the "A Night at the Opera" subsection? Sorry to pick nits.

A nit replies: duly copied (rather than "moved") in case anyone still wishes to comment on the broadcast (still available on the i-Player: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09cz43m ). You never know - there are some Forumistas who respond weeks after a programme has been broadcast!

[kernelbogey]

[...]there are some Forumistas who respond weeks after a programme has been broadcast!

Just women?