Death in Venice

[Guest]

I've just seen a trailer for the ENO Death in Venice - on television next week.

http://skyarts.sky.com/sky-arts-to-screen-benjamin-brittens-death-in-venice

I have not been able to book tickets, so I'm thrilled that there will be the chance to see it.

[Tevot]

Hello there,

For those of you who haven't already come across it - here's a review from The Guardian with some interesting comments too:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jun/17/death-in-venice-eno-review

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[VodkaDilc]

Plus a five-star review in The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jun/17/death-in-venice-eno-review?INTCMP=SRCH

Sorry, Tevot: great minds............!

[Mary Chambers]

It's on television the same night that Gloriana is in cinemas. Not good....but anyway I don't have Sky.

[VodkaDilc]

Having read the review, I'm tempted to get one of the remaining tickets. I was interested to read on the ENO booking page that the televised performance really is being done live. (I thought it might have been pre-recorded.) Isn't that quite unusual these days?

[Nick Armstrong]

Having read the review, I'm tempted to get one of the remaining tickets.

Couldn't resist a trip on Monday next

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/classical-review-deborah-warners-eno-death-in-venice-is-brilliantly-revived-8661469.html

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I've just watched the broadcast on SkyArts and, in many ways, enjoyed John Graham-Hall's Aschenbach even more on the small screen than in the house, where I felt he was mugging to the audience a little too much. I was there on opening night and my colleague, who wrote a critical review, cited a particular point at the end of Act I; Tadzio, the libretto tells us, turns and smiles at Aschenbach, leading to the line '"Don't smile like that. No-one should be smiled at like that." Well, on opening night, there was no smile, which our reviewer took exception to:

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=948:death-in-venice-english-national-opera-14th-june-2013&catid=8:opera-reviews&Itemid=16

Now, you could argue that the director was having Aschenbach imagining the smile, deluding himself, but this evening - guess what? Camera close-up on Tadzio. Cue - smile! Coincidence?

I found the presentation - Petroc + someone from Classic fm - straightforward and professional. Best of all - and BBC, please note - when the performance finished... nothing. A complete absence of voiceover commentary telling us all how wonderful it had been or congratulating and naming the performers - just the curtain calls, uninterrupted. Appreciated.

[Nick Armstrong]

I've just watched...

... the opera in the house. Fantastic evening! The 'smile' moment would have irritated me too, had there been no smile, but the dancer had learnt his cues and his appearances and looks round at Aschenbach were perfectly timed with the 'Tadzio chime' in the orchestra.

What a luminous, fluent, well-conceived and seductive production! What an astonishing performance by John Graham-Hall (no mugging, I felt - and absolutely perfect singing: the best Britten opera performance I've heard since Philip Langridge).

A real treat.

(We were centre front row stalls - one wouldn't even have needed to lean forward in the seat to tap Ed Gardner on the shoulder! - and two of the cameras were in that row alongside. I do hope that the relay is released soon as a DVD or blu-ray. And yes... we wondered what Petroc was doing with spotlights in the royal box - so Auntie let him out for the night to take the Sky shilling...)

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

What a luminous, fluent, well-conceived and seductive production!

Agreed. And isn't Jean Kalman's lighting a thing of immense wonder?

[Nick Armstrong]

Agreed. And isn't Jean Kalman's lighting a thing of immense wonder?

[amateur51]

I'm looking forward to the DVD. I was at the opening night but way up top and so much of the lighting etc didn't make its necessary impact and much of the singing was wordless at that distance.

Glad you enjoyed it last evening, Caliban

[Bryn]

I'm looking forward to the DVD.

But would not the DVD be at least somewhat be sponsored by a certain Digger?

[Hornspieler]

But would not the DVD be at least somewhat sponsored by a certain Digger?

Hypocrisy can be found even in the lowest levels of society, Bryn. (No names, no pack drill, of course)

HS

[amateur51]

But would not the DVD be at least somewhat be sponsored by a certain Digger?

Crumbs!

Can I borrow yours then, Bryn

Or I'll wait til some scumbag copies it on to youtube ... or get it as a zoverstocks remainder

[VodkaDilc]

I've just watched the broadcast on SkyArts and, in many ways, enjoyed John Graham-Hall's Aschenbach even more on the small screen than in the house, where I felt he was mugging to the audience a little too much. I was there on opening night and my colleague, who wrote a critical review, cited a particular point at the end of Act I; Tadzio, the libretto tells us, turns and smiles at Aschenbach, leading to the line '"Don't smile like that. No-one should be smiled at like that." Well, on opening night, there was no smile, which our reviewer took exception to:

http://www.opera-britannia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=948:death-in-venice-english-national-opera-14th-june-2013&catid=8:opera-reviews&Itemid=16

Now, you could argue that the director was having Aschenbach imagining the smile, deluding himself, but this evening - guess what? Camera close-up on Tadzio. Cue - smile! Coincidence?

I found the presentation - Petroc + someone from Classic fm - straightforward and professional. Best of all - and BBC, please note - when the performance finished... nothing. A complete absence of voiceover commentary telling us all how wonderful it had been or congratulating and naming the performers - just the curtain calls, uninterrupted. Appreciated.

I agree with IGI. The opera itself was wonderful; Graham-Hall was a convincing Aschenbach and, for once, I wasn't constantly comparing him with PP. Tadzio and the other non-singers were convincing and natural.

The television presentation was unobtrusive and efficient. As IGI has said, the two presenters were business-like and did not impose their views on us (as BBC presenters are told to these days.) The female presenter (sorry to have forgotten her name) should be used as an example by all the gushing Derhams and Kleins (and their clones) employed elsewhere; it IS possible to do backstage interviews without coming over as a star-struck 15 year old. The interval extract from a forthcoming Britten documentary was interesting and looks as if it will be another highlight of the Britten year.