Gloriana - what else?

[french frank]

Gloriana is to be revived to celebrate its own Jubilee.

Is it really terrible?

[VodkaDilc]

Gloriana is to be revived to celebrate its own Jubilee.

Is it really terrible?

I swallowed all the claims that it was one of BB's failures until I saw it in, I think, the late 60s. I have the programme, but at the time all the production details were in a small (free?) leaflet, with the plot and various historical views in a more substantial souvenir programme. I don't have an exact date for the production, but it was given by Sadler's Wells Opera at Sadler's Wells Theatre - so must predate the move to St Martin's Lane. I am guessing about 1968.

I enjoyed it immensely. I think the criticisms came from the philistines in the royal circle who thought they were going to see a remake of Merrie England. There's plenty of evidence in Volume 4 of Britten's Letters from a Life to confirm this.

[Chris Newman]

Gloriana is not terrible. The powers that be merely questioned the wisdom of BB writing an opera concerning the problems of the love life and political intrigues of the first Queen Elizabeth to celebrate the coronation of the second Queen Elizabeth. I saw it when it first was performed by Sadler's Wells at the London Coliseum conducted by Mario Bernardi with singers like Sheila Rex, Derek Hammond-Stroud, David Hillman and was very moved by it. That would be the same production as VodkaDilc saw a couple of years before at Sadler's Wells Theatre. Musically and dramatically it was very fine: IMO better than his weaker works like The Rape of Lucretia, Let's Make An Opera, Owen Wingrave and Death in Venice; and if they are only weaker it makes his very finest very fine indeed.

[nersner]

As anyone who saw the Opera North Phyllida Lloyd production should agree, it rivals Peter Grimes as one of his best operas. We would have followed Josephine Barstow down south to remove the present incumbent. Who will play Elizabeth? That would be critical.

[Black Swan]

I am interested in knowing if any good DVD's of Gloriana exist. I know nothing of this opera save fro some courtly dances.

John

[Pianorak]

Only got the VHS copy of the ENO production with Sarah Walker which I love. Actually Gloriana and the Church Parables are the only Britten operas I can bear to listen to.

(runs for cover)

[salymap]

I was lucky enough to have a friend whose mother was given tickets for a box at the ROH for either the first or second performance in 1953. I was too young to realise what a special cast it was but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The audience were appreciative and I think the critics had some sort of axe to grind. I just wish I had kept all my programmes but they were thrown out for reasons of space, which I regret.

[Chris Newman]

I am interested in knowing if any good DVD's of Gloriana exist. I know nothing of this opera save fro some courtly dances.

John

There are currently two DVD's One is an ENO production with Sarah Walker as a magnificent Elizabeth. She sings and acts regally. The rest of the cast are superb and Mark Elder makes his mark (sorry about that) as a Britten conductor. The other production from Opera North is presented as a film about the production. Paul Daniel is the equal of Elder. Maybe one or two small parts are weaker. For me I could not listen to Josephine Barstow as Elizabeth too often. She acts superbly, scattering the cast and scenery in all directions, but by the time she was filmed as Gloriana she had sung Verdi and big roles for many years and her voice is harsh and worn.

[David-G]

I remember seeing the Opera North production of Gloriana at Covent Garden in 1994, and enjoying it very much.

[Mary Chambers]

Susan Bullock is cast as Gloriana, Toby Spence as Essex. I agree the casting of Elizabeth is vital, and I don't know enough about Susan Bullock to know if she's got what it takes or not.

My main concern about the new production is that it's by Richard Jones. Gloriana is an opera that would not take kindly to the baked bean treatment (as in his production of Wozzeck). It needs to be grand and it needs to be Elizabethan. What will we get?

[Roehre]

Gloriana is to be revived to celebrate its own Jubilee.

Is it really terrible?

No, it isn't terrible. I personally like it very much. I don't really understand the bad press it regularly gets (and certainly got), though one can see where it comes from [the "old fashioned" historical un-britten-like plot, the incorporation of mock-Tudor music, the necessary cast and the Elisabethan grandeur it needs to have to be successful]. But when even the Gloriana-suite is hardly performed, with really glorious (pun certainly intended ) music, what are the chances for the opera?

As soon as a work of Britten's is "outside" the "normal" pattern of expectations, it is said to be terrible. That's how The Prince of the Pagodas, or the suite "A time there was" are perceived and received too, aren't they? Comparing Gloriana with e.g. (the IMO much weaker) The Rape of Lucretia, or Death in Venice shows what I mean.

[Mary Chambers]

As soon as a work of Britten's is "outside" the "normal" pattern of expectations, it is said to be terrible. That's how The Prince of the Pagodas, or the suite "A time there was" are perceived and received too, aren't they?

I ddin't realise The Prince of the Pagodas was considered 'terrible'. I thought it was just that the silly plot (not Britten's fault) made it relatively unsuccessful as a ballet, though it's also being revived.

[Roehre]

I ddin't realise The Prince of the Pagodas was considered 'terrible'. I thought it was just that the silly plot (not Britten's fault) made it relatively unsuccessful as a ballet, though it's also being revived.

The silly plot of "The Prince of the Pagodas" hasn't done any good to the IMO in more than one sense exceptional score.
It has been revived on stage. That is true. But compared to "lesser" pieces of Britten's, how many times has it been performed (un-staged that is) and/or recorded.? Even the Pagodas-suite shares that fate

[Mary Chambers]

The silly plot of "The Prince of the Pagodas" hasn't done any good to the IMO in more than one sense exceptional score.
It has been revived on stage. That is true. But compared to "lesser" pieces of Britten's, how many times has it been performed (un-staged that is) and/or recorded.? Even the Pagodas-suite shares that fate

That's true. It's being performed at Covent Garden in June, but I'm not sure I've ever heard it in the concert hall, though I can think of a few percussionists who would love a go at it. I have the Knussen recording, and the Britten one, which I think is incomplete, is being reisssued by Decca.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Rather like the Tippett discussion of a few months ago, we seem to each have a different idea of which of Britten's works are the least/less successful: I love Death in Venice and Lucretia (Ferrier and Baker associations, you see: just can't fail Musically with me!) and A Time there Was, but I haven't yet "twigged" Gloriana or the whole of Pagodas.