Harrison Birtwistle

[alywin]

This thread reminds me: was Gawain never released on DVD? I thought I remembered a BBC broadcast of it.

[Roehre]

Simon Rattle once said, about his great friend Alfred Brendel: "What you have to understand about Alfred is that, for him, apart from Purcell and The Mask of Orpheus, ALL English music is second-rate."

Alfred might be right.....

(I'll get me coat )

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

This thread reminds me: was Gawain never released on DVD? I thought I remembered a BBC broadcast of it.

You remember correctly: I have a grotty videotape from the broadcast of the first production (with the original ending to Act One, which I wish Sir H would arrange as a concert choral work - a sort of Narration: the Passing of a Year writ large) and an interview with the composer.

At the time, Beeb2 regularly broadcast new operas: there's a New Year and an Electrification of the Soviet Union (a glowing, radiantly lyrical work that deserves greater "currency" IMO) from the same vintage. (Not to mention a Midsummer Marriage and Lady Macbeth of Mtensk.) None of which, sadly, ever available on either Video or DVD.

[umslopogaas]

fhg, there does, or did, exist a film of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. I saw it around 1970 in the Arts Cinema in Cambridge in my student days. I well remember going to book a ticket and the lady in the box office gave me a curious look and said "you do know its all in Russian, dont you?". A shrewd eye, I cant speak a word of Russian and clearly it shows. I've no idea why I was drawn to see the movie, I'd barely heard of Shostakovich. I remember nothing of the film itself, all I can really recall was that there were, at most, three other people in the cinema.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

fhg, there does, or did, exist a film of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. I saw it around 1970 in the Arts Cinema in Cambridge in my student days. I well remember going to book a ticket and the lady in the box office gave me a curious look and said "you do know its all in Russian, dont you?". A shrewd eye, I cant speak a word of Russian and clearly it shows. I've no idea why I was drawn to see the movie, I'd barely heard of Shostakovich. I remember nothing of the film itself, all I can really recall was that there were, at most, three other people in the cinema.

You're right: I'd forgotten about this, having only seen excerpts from this: wasn't it in B&W and of the revised version?
The BBC broadcast I was thinking of was the mid-80s ENO production: superb - if my memory doesn't deceive me. Again.

Best Wishes.

[umslopogaas]

fhg, I have no idea at this distance which version of the opera was used in the film, but I think it was in colour. Unfortunately the film isnt in mentioned in my new Christmas present (Radio Times Guide to Films). I'll do a bit of research ...

... right, I think I've sorted that out, but it is confusing because there have been several versions. The one I saw was made in 1966, in colour, and is the "official" version. It censors out the more lurid bits, apparently. The director was Mikhail Shapiro and it starred Galina Vishnevskya, no less. There was also a 1962 version directed by Andrzej Wajda and a 1992 version directed by Peter Weigl which used the Rostropovich/Vishnevskya recording.

It appears that the 1966 film used the revised score (Katerina Izmailova) but, just to add to the confusion, kept the original title: I guess its fair to say that 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' is a more attention-grabbing title for a movie than 'Katerina Izmailova.'

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... I'd no idea the opera had been filmed so often.

[alywin]

You remember correctly: I have a grotty videotape from the broadcast of the first production (with the original ending to Act One, which I wish Sir H would arrange as a concert choral work - a sort of Narration: the Passing of a Year writ large) and an interview with the composer.

Thanks. I'd love another look at it: I wanted to go again and see it at the ROH, but in the reopening fervour they'd bumped the prices up so much from the previous time that I baulked at paying so much more for it. They've never performed it since. I assume, then, that they haven't got around to releasing a DVD.

[amateur51]

How would you know?

[ahinton]

Alfred might be right.....

(I'll get me coat )

But before you do so, ask yourself what Scottish music might meet with his approval...

[Serial_Apologist]

But before you do so, ask yourself what Scottish music might meet with his approval...

Well, ahinton, so long as we're not speaking of a certain composer whom I did once admire, but who now writes a lot of, to my mind, overrated music in the cause of Roman Catholicism...

I for one would be pleased if R3 devoted at least SOME of its airspace to Ronald Stevenson, whose considerable talent as both composer and pianist has for too long been ignored. I well remember a lengthy series of programmes he brilliantly introduced, not to his own music, but that of Busoni, way back in the 1970s.

There has been a lot of fine Scottish jazz on Radio 3 in recent years, it should be said...

But what about the glaring absence of your OWN music... on Radio 3???

[Simon]

SIMON! Welcome back after so long a break. These Boards are so much the poorer without your comic genius.

Thanks FHG.

But, having thought that the comparison of Birtwistle and Wagner was about as ludicrous as you could get in terms of musical ability, I have now to cede my place in the comedy stakes to the earlier poster who seems to be linking Byrd with Richard Barratt.

[amateur51]

Thanks FHG.

But, having thought that the comparison of Birtwistle and Wagner was about as ludicrous as you could get in terms of musical ability, I have now to cede my place in the comedy stakes to the earlier poster who seems to be linking Byrd with Richard Barratt.

Simon's favourite piece for "when you need a lift" is Lachenmann's Mouvement of course

Out of the mouths of babes and ducklings

[ahinton]

Thanks FHG.

But, having thought that the comparison of Birtwistle and Wagner was about as ludicrous as you could get in terms of musical ability, I have now to cede my place in the comedy stakes to the earlier poster who seems to be linking Byrd with Richard Barratt.

Barrett, please (and "Bird", if you really must)

[ahinton]

Simon's favourite piece for "when you need a lift" is Lachenmann's Mouvement of course

Out of the mouths of babes and ducklings

"Lift"? "Mo(u)vement"? What is he? - someone in the dance profession?