Turn of the Screw - BBC4

[ardcarp]

I can hardly believe that Britten's Turn of the Screw is being screened on BBC 4 on Sunday 6th June.
Amazing. (I suppose they have to re-balance the schedule after all those Friday nights of utter c**p.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wvmq

A film of the opera The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten. A young governess arrives at an old house in the country to look after two orphans. What unfolds is a chilling tale as she experiences strange ghostly encounters with some of the previous occupants of the house and finds herself engaged in a battle to protect the children’s souls from evil.

Myfanwy Piper’s libretto of Henry James’s famous short story leaves much to our imagination and Britten’s score is haunting, terrifying and brilliant.

Shot on location at Wilton's Music Hall, London, the whole space of the venue, not just the stage, is used to tell the story.

[Bryn]

I can hardly believe that Britten's Turn of the Screw is being screened on BBC 4 on Sunday 6th June.
Amazing. (I suppose they have to re-balance the schedule after all those Friday nights of utter c**p.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wvmq

A film of the opera The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten. A young governess arrives at an old house in the country to look after two orphans. What unfolds is a chilling tale as she experiences strange ghostly encounters with some of the previous occupants of the house and finds herself engaged in a battle to protect the children’s souls from evil.

Myfanwy Piper’s libretto of Henry James’s famous short story leaves much to our imagination and Britten’s score is haunting, terrifying and brilliant.

Shot on location at Wilton's Music Hall, London, the whole space of the venue, not just the stage, is used to tell the story.

Ah, so it's a new production. Good though the news is, why not a production of a work that has not previously appeared on television? O.k., I know it was a long time ago . . .

[Simon Biazeck]

There was a very interesting episode of Behind the Scenes on Radio 4 about the making of this production:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000q0yv

SBz

[gurnemanz]

I can hardly believe that Britten's Turn of the Screw is being screened on BBC 4 on Sunday 6th June.
Amazing. (I suppose they have to re-balance the schedule after all those Friday nights of utter c**p.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wvmq

A film of the opera The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten. A young governess arrives at an old house in the country to look after two orphans. What unfolds is a chilling tale as she experiences strange ghostly encounters with some of the previous occupants of the house and finds herself engaged in a battle to protect the children’s souls from evil.

Myfanwy Piper’s libretto of Henry James’s famous short story leaves much to our imagination and Britten’s score is haunting, terrifying and brilliant.

Shot on location at Wilton's Music Hall, London, the whole space of the venue, not just the stage, is used to tell the story.

It is a pity that such instances of classical music broadcasts on British TV are so rare as to be noteworthy.

We have a satellite dish which enables us to watch German TV free-to-air in HD and good quality sound. I check the web to see what classical music is coming up. There are 16 items today alone. https://programm.ard.de/TV/Themensch...anz/Startseite

[Ein Heldenleben]

Ah, so it's a new production. Good though the news is, why not a production of a work that has not previously appeared on television? O.k., I know it was a long time ago . . .

That previous BBC TV version of TTOTS was shot on location rather than stage based and was absolutely superb. I’ve never seen a bad production of this opera. In fact I’ve never seen a production that’s been less than excellent - it seems to bring out the best in everyone. It’s also already so rife with “ Freudian “ melodrama it need no Regie Theater style mucking about with....

[hmvman]

Amazing, brilliant news!

[Bella Kemp]

The whole evening on BBC 4 looks excellent. Following the opera is a fascinating documentary, then some Chopin and then what promises to be a highly-intelligent programme on the Arts of Senegal. As others have said it's such a pity that most of the time this channel is devoted to drivel and so one hardly ever checks to see what's on.

[ardcarp]

There was a very interesting episode of Behind the Scenes on Radio 4 about the making of this production:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000q0yv

SBz

Thanks Simon B. I heard the R4 programme after watching the opera, and it was fascinating how the production was done. Especially so the singers' performaing to a piano reduction on hidden earphones, and then John Wilson conducting the band afterwards using the recorded singer+piano. Quite a technical feat and much better than the singers/actors miming to a prerecorded score.

As to the finished production, brilliant in many ways. MrsA and I know the opera well, but worried that the voices of the(very fine) singers didn't allow the diction to come over clearly enough to tell the story to a listener new to the work. Hint: the full libretto is available online. But a case for subtitles maybe?

https://www.opera-arias.com/britten/turn-of-the-screw/libretto/

There are also various online reads about how Myfanwy Piper 'altered' the story to fit in with Britten's take on the Henry James novella.

[Simon Biazeck]

Thanks Simon B. I heard the R4 programme after watching the opera, and it was fascinating how the production was done. Especially so the singers' performaing to a piano reduction on hidden earphones, and then John Wilson conducting the band afterwards using the recorded singer+piano. Quite a technical feat and much better than the singers/actors miming to a prerecorded score.

As to the finished production, brilliant in many ways. MrsA and I know the opera well but worried that the voices of the(very fine) singers didn't allow the diction to come over clearly enough to tell the story to a listener new to the work. Hint: the full libretto is available online.

https://www.opera-arias.com/britten/turn-of-the-screw/libretto/

There are also various online reads about how Myfanwy Piper 'altered' the story to fit in with Britten's take on the Henry James novella.

Great! I know it well and have a vocal score here.

I thought the voices were very fine and the sound came across well, especially as regards clarity in the orchestra. The production was OK.

I really enjoyed the documentary which followed. As ever, I couldn't take my eyes off Britten at the piano - electric!

Knussen's observations were excellent. His comment about the wide tonal pallette in Billy Budd rang true with my memories of having sung in the recent ROH production. I think it was E.M. Forster who suggested to Britten that he should return to the full orchestra for a new opera. He was right!

SBz.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Great! I know it well and have a vocal score here.

I thought the voices were very fine and the sound came across well, especially as regards clarity in the orchestra. The production was OK.

I really enjoyed the documentary which followed. As ever, I couldn't take my eyes off Britten at the piano - electric!

Knussen's observations were excellent. His comment about the wide tonal pallette in Billy Budd rang true with my memories of having sung in the recent ROH production. I think it was E.M. Forster who suggested to Britten that he should return to the full orchestra for a new opera. He was right!

SBz.

I’ve got last night on PVR. That Billy Budd was stunning - Happy days. One thing about the production that puzzled me was Toby Spence’s Captain Vere uniform (particularly the hat ) deliberately too big as a sort of metaphorical indication of his inadequacy for the role (of Captain I mean as he sang superbly) ?

[Simon Biazeck]

I’ve got last night on PVR. That Billy Budd was stunning - Happy days. One thing about the production that puzzled me was Toby Spence’s Captain Vere uniform (particularly the hat ) deliberately too big as a sort of metaphorical indication of his inadequacy for the role (of Captain I mean as he sang superbly)?

Yes, it was rather! I don't know, I'm afraid. We had a naval history expert on board (so to speak!) and he didn't comment on that, not to me at least. Happy days, as you say.

SBz

[BBMmk2]

Must catch up!

[Cockney Sparrow]

There were features on radio about the Turn of the Screw production being caught by the inception of lockdown, close to or at the very moment public performances were to start. And how they became determined to "repurpose" the production for streaming/film-tv using cameras in the whole auditorium. (Programmes like R4 "Front Row", etc). I presume its unlikely they had any insurance to cover their financial loss at that point, but nevertheless a brave decision to carry on like they did.

Maybe the BBC got the programme at low cost, or it agreed to pay the going rate as an act of support for such determination and grit* - no doubt it could predict an interruption in the supply of new programme material so it would have the budget. To me, it doesn't mean that the BBC intended to offer a high quality opera performance in June 2021 - more of a windfall and a tick to add to the box on the OfCom grid. But nonetheless I'm looking forward to a rewarding evening on the i-Player watching this performance (I know Robert Murray as an excellent artist). (I also remember TTOS shot on location and found that absorbing and memorable (and I might have a home DVD of it somewhere).

*(I do hope I don't read in Private Eye that the producer is related to / best mates of the BBC music feature commissioning editor or executive. I'd like to believe this was a genuine act of support for the performers, at the same time providing content of real worth, so no sacrifice of standards).

My offspring came through last evening, stayed for a meal, our first for some months now.... After they had gone I caught the end of the Britten documentary - heartwarming to see Luxon in his prime, and Shirley-Quirk - both singers I regard very highly.

I saw the Billy Budd at the ROH, which was fine. I have to say, though, it seemed rather muted against the experience of the Glyndebourne production (I went to two runs, plus cinema showings). The claustrophobic set, in the smaller auditorium made for a great impact.

[CallMePaul]

Thanks Simon B. I heard the R4 programme after watching the opera, and it was fascinating how the production was done. Especially so the singers' performaing to a piano reduction on hidden earphones, and then John Wilson conducting the band afterwards using the recorded singer+piano. Quite a technical feat and much better than the singers/actors miming to a prerecorded score.

As to the finished production, brilliant in many ways. MrsA and I know the opera well, but worried that the voices of the(very fine) singers didn't allow the diction to come over clearly enough to tell the story to a listener new to the work. Hint: the full libretto is available online. But a case for subtitles maybe?

https://www.opera-arias.com/britten/turn-of-the-screw/libretto/

There are also various online reads about how Myfanwy Piper 'altered' the story to fit in with Britten's take on the Henry James novella.

I have to agree thatt he singers were difficult to follow, which I put down to the acoustic of the venue. My partner was scathing about this, finding (as I did) Miss Gross almost impossible to follow. Subtitles would have helped. The instrumental playing, however, came accross clearly with a lot of audible detail.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Thanks Simon B. I heard the R4 programme after watching the opera, and it was fascinating how the production was done. Especially so the singers' performing to a piano reduction on hidden earphones, and then John Wilson conducting the band afterwards using the recorded singer+piano. Quite a technical feat and much better than the singers/actors miming to a prerecorded score.

Probably me but I couldn't see the point of the occasional appearances of solo instrumentalists around the edge of the set... Particularly if we weren't actually hearing them!