Opera North: The Greek Passion

[Pulcinella]

I rather often find myself lost in admiration for the skills of the librettists responsible for most of the "standard repertoire" (in so far as that exists at all!)

For example, I recently did a piece of work on the changes that Puccini's librettists Giacosa and Illica made, to shape David Belasco's Madam Butterfly into a plot and text suitable for operatic treatment; and though it took them and the composer two goes to fine tune the work, I came out of that study with huge respect, for the way this oft-maligned duo transformed a rickety, ugly duckling into a beautiful, smooth-sailing swan.

They took the play, refined its stereotyped characters, gave it a moral-political point, wrote the whole of the first act (which isn't in Belasco at all) and improved the thing beyond all recognition. So hats off to those maligned operatic librettists, for often doing a difficult - and generally thankless - task so well!

Indeed.
My comment was a bit tongue in cheek (hence the smiley!), and more a reflection on the impossible plots/storylines than the librettos as such!

[Master Jacques]

Indeed.
My comment was a bit tongue in cheek (hence the smiley!), and more a reflection on the impossible plots/storylines than the librettos as such!

I know it was, Pulcinella. Though I have to say that there's little in opera which surpasses the general impossibility of what passes for normal life, in this crazy "real world" of ours!

I suppose my point is, that the way such maligned librettists such as Cammarano or Piave reshaped the plays that (e.g.) Verdi chose, to refashion them for the formal constraints of Italian opera, is - more often than not - astonishingly successful. Realistic plausibility is not what these poets were aiming for: rather, they were striving for something archetypal, in situation and story line as much as character. As poetic texts for music, their libretti are superb, which is part of the reason such works as Il trovatore and La traviata are still performed today.

[Bryn]

I know it was, Pulcinella. Though I have to say that there's little in opera which surpasses the general impossibility of what passes for normal life, in this crazy "real world" of ours!

I suppose my point is, that the way such maligned librettists such as Cammarano or Piave reshaped the plays that (e.g.) Verdi chose, to refashion them for the formal constraints of Italian opera, is - more often than not - astonishingly successful. Realistic plausibility is not what these poets were aiming for: rather, they were striving for something archetypal, in situation and story line as much as character. As poetic texts for music, their libretti are superb, which is part of the reason such works as Il trovatore and La traviata are still performed today.

Hmm. I wonder if yo might offer a defence of the 'improvements' to Shakespeare's text in the libretto for the opera The Tempest by the 'school of Adès'.

[Master Jacques]

Hmm. I wonder if yo might offer a defence of the 'improvements' to Shakespeare's text in the libretto for the opera The Tempest by the 'school of Adès'.

That one's beyond the pale! It has very few points of contact with Shakespeare's text, though (unfortunately for itself) it constantly reminds us how much better the original was. Crucially and sadly, Meredith Oakes's clumsy banalities don't offer better Adès decent or stimluating "words for music". That libretto is a real dud, and is the reason this strangely worthy opera won't survive - unlike, I think, Powder Her Face and The Exterminating Angel, both of which have terrific vitality.

I wonder whether Adès had a failure of nerve, which made him feel he didn't want his music to try and measure up to Shakespeare. I can see no other explanation for his decision to have the whole play rewritten in such a poor way.

[Simon B]

Is there any indication of a future broadcast of this production on Radio 3? There was no mention that I heard during or following yesterday's Music Matters.

Lots of microphones in the pit and evidence of presenters recording in a box last night in Leeds. Presumably this was for R3 - though no sign of it in upcoming schedules was turned up by a quick search.

[Pulcinella]

Lots of microphones in the pit and evidence of presenters recording in a box last night in Leeds. Presumably this was for R3 - though no sign of it in upcoming schedules was turned up by a quick search.

So what did you think of it?

[makropulos]

Lots of microphones in the pit and evidence of presenters recording in a box last night in Leeds. Presumably this was for R3 - though no sign of it in upcoming schedules was turned up by a quick search.

Yes - I was one of said presenters and yes, it was for R3. The date I've been given for the broadcast is 9 November, though that may change. If it is right, then it coincides with Opera North doing the same opera in Nottingham.

[Simon B]

So what did you think of it?

The trite but reasonably accurate summary would be - I wanted to like it more than I actually did.

In part I think this was due to it confirming that I've not liked a single production by Christopher Alden. Well, ok, except for the one I did - Gianni Schicchi - albeit only on second viewing

It was nowhere near as bad as La Vida Breve (which basically took the $^%£ out of the opera IMO) which removed all shock value by trying so hard to be shocking.

However, there seemed to be a little pointless coarsening of the libretto and otherwise it added nothing over a more straightforward rendering of the original scenario. Perhaps I was just in a particularly grudging frame of mind thanks to the misfortune of proximity to one of the seemingly ubiquitous reprobates of audiences the world over - the pathologically heavy breather...

It's looking like I might be in the vicinity of Manchester when it's on there. I might give it another go if I can get a cheap seat, if only to try again to avail myself of the rare opportunity to hear the really rather good score...

[Master Jacques]

It was nowhere near as bad as La Vida Breve (which basically took the $^%£ out of the opera IMO) which removed all shock value by trying so hard to be shocking.

I know it's a long time ago, and your opinion is your own; but to be fair to the director his La vida breve was generally much liked by audiences and press alike:

( e.g. http://www.zarzuela.net/ref/reviews/vidabreve_on.htm )

It's a notoriously difficult piece to bring off, and for many Christopher Alden did it full justice, while avoiding "picture postcard Spain" banalities. The review here by the Spanish critic is therefore specially interesting.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - I was one of said presenters and yes, it was for R3. The date I've been given for the broadcast is 9 November, though that may change.

Nope, it was broadcast last Saturday as you were told:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000b6pr

... I heard only the first half-hour or so (splendid introduction, by the way: succinct and informative) - enough to make me keen to hear the rest (and even more annoyed that I was prevented from seeing the production itself).

Anyone listen to the whole broadcast?

[Master Jacques]

Nope, it was broadcast last Saturday as you were told:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000b6pr

... I heard only the first half-hour or so (splendid introduction, by the way: succinct and informative) - enough to make me keen to hear the rest (and even more annoyed that I was prevented from seeing the production itself).

Anyone listen to the whole broadcast?

Not yet - having had to miss the Leeds performance (as broadcast) for health reasons, I caught up with it on Saturday night live at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, and was very glad I had done so. A privilege to hear and see this opera so cogently done: there's a feeling the show's 'tightened up' theatrically while on the road, by the way.

The changes between the original (reconstructed) version presented by Opera North and the more familiar, revised version proved more substantial than I'd expected, and very much in the work's favour.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

So glad you got to see the production, MJ, not least because it suggests that the "health reasons" have cleared up.

I listened to the original version (via youTube, as in post #7) a couple of times in preparation for my aborted attendance in Leeds: there seemed to be significant differences between that "original" and this Leeds one (although that is probably my memory at fault).

It occurs to me that I haven't heard the revised version at all - something to look forward to.

[Pulcinella]

Not yet - having had to miss the Leeds performance (as broadcast) for health reasons, I caught up with it on Saturday night live at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, and was very glad I had done so. A privilege to hear and see this opera so cogently done: there's a feeling the show's 'tightened up' theatrically while on the road, by the way.

The changes between the original (reconstructed) version presented by Opera North and the more familiar, revised version proved more substantial than I'd expected, and very much in the work's favour.

I think that you prefer the original, but that's not quite the way this could be interpreted; I'm not sure which changes you are suggesting work in the work's favour: from the original to the revised, or from the more familiar revision back to the original.

If so, it's the opposite for me: perhaps through familiarity with the Mackerras recording, but also because I just don't get on with narrators.

As I said previously, I particularly like the opening Easter spilling out of church in the revised version, and felt 'let down' by the original, which I found much less compelling.

Glad you enjoyed it, though, and I join ferney in hoping that your 'health problems' are now in the past.

[Master Jacques]

Thank you both for your kind wishes - certainly for now I'm functioning on nearly all cylinders, which is a decided improvement.

Yes indeed, Pulcinella, I did find that I prefer this original ,"London" version to the familiar "Zurich" revision, for several reasons. The narrator is the significant downside (and hardly necessary, either). What's much preferable in the Opera North production of the original version, is the fact that Manolios's death is no longer more or less the end - the succeeding "Christmas" scenes and the parable of the yellow bird (Priest Fotis's "dream") place the emphasis where it needs to be, and where Kazantzakis wanted it: on the two communities, and the operatic choruses.

This "London" version seems significantly more dramatic, more focused as a lean-and-mean stage work and less of a static oratorio than the revised score, with its extended musical opportunities but reduced dramatic palette. Yes, some cherished music is certainly missing. But this stage production of the "original" made any doubts I've had - never about the score but certainly about its momuentum in the theatre - vanish like mist.

[Master Jacques]

... there seemed to be significant differences between that "original" and this Leeds one (although that is probably my memory at fault).

The differences here lie - as far as I am aware - in "updating" of the spoken dialogue (references to crisps, veganism and so forth) rather than any structural tampering with music and dialogue proportionally. Having missed out on the ROH 2000 production of this "original" score under Mackerras, my previous reference was a pretty sound knowledge of the Zurich revision (in both English and Czech) so this was a pleasantly new experience for me.

I must say that I experienced that very rare feeling: i.e. that this was a production which it was a privilege to be attending (not least in Nottingham's glorious Theatre Royal, always a favourite of mine!)