Death In Venice

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was unable to see the production in the theatre so I can only comment on the broadcast, but there seemed none of the weaknesses in either Savidge's or Oke's performances that Mary noticed as they came across the airwaves. (Nor, of course, were there the distractions of the choreography or female Tadzio). It was some of the female roles who rather let the performance down, I felt - a bit hammy, wobbly and over-projected, as if "showing off" for the microphones, or compensating for the lack of a big aria?

But the orchestra and conducting - magnificent!

[Mary Chambers]

I was unable to see the production in the theatre so I can only comment on the broadcast, but there seemed none of the weaknesses in either Savidge's or Oke's performances that Mary noticed as they came across the airwaves. (Nor, of course, were there the distractions of the choreography or female Tadzio). It was some of the female roles who rather let the performance down, I felt - a bit hammy, wobbly and over-projected, as if "showing off" for the microphones, or compensating for the lack of a big aria?

But the orchestra and conducting - magnificent!

I agree about the female roles, but they aren't very important. In the theatre I had the feeling that everyone who had a short solo was thinking that this was their big chance, and they were going to be noticed at all costs.

Savidge's diction did sound fine on the radio, but not in the theatre, at least not for some of the important passages.

Whatever faults there are in a production, the music is still there, and as you say it was magnificently played. Worth going for that alone. The final passage is one of the most beautiful things Britten ever wrote, I feel - though in this production Tadzio did not 'continue his walk far out to sea' during it, as the libretto specifies. He had gone well before it ended.

Something positive - I liked the gondoliers, and the costumes. At least they had the sense not to update it. The set, however, did nothing for me. Too much Japan, too little Venice, though to be fair from where I was in the stalls the duckboards and water (?) were barely visible. I don't think sets need to be representational, but a little more Venetian atmosphere wouldn't have come amiss.

Oh, and I liked the fact that it wasn't over-sexualised.

[Black Swan]

I attended the performance in Leeds. If found it ok. However, I do object to the role of Tadzio being played by a girl. There is no reason for it and it is totally against the intent of the composer. This is unacceptable to me. Opera North, I am a friend and a regular patron, often takes to many production liberties. But a girl as Tadzio is just silly.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I agree about the female roles, but they aren't very important. In the theatre I had the feeling that everyone who had a short solo was thinking that this was their big chance, and they were going to be noticed at all costs.

- yes, it did sound like that!

The final passage is one of the most beautiful things Britten ever wrote

I agree entirely.

[Black Swan]

Just wondering if any of the forum members have a recommendation for Death in Venice on DVD. The pickings to date seem very lean. Maybe a new one will come out this year.

[Mary Chambers]

Just wondering if any of the forum members have a recommendation for Death in Venice on DVD. The pickings to date seem very lean. Maybe a new one will come out this year.

I don't watch opera DVDs very much, but of the current ones Tony Palmer's is the most beautiful to look at, and has some of the original cast. It was filmed in Venice, and was intended to have Pears as Aschenbach, but he had a stroke at the last minute, and Robert Gard took his place.

I believe a DVD is due out this month of Deborah Warner's ENO production, with John Graham Hall. It should be quite good. I saw Ian Bostridge in it. Again it is visually beautiful.

If you search on YouTube for Britten Death in Venice there are various excerpts from other DVDs. Some of them are pretty awful in my opinion, but it depends what you like.

[Belgrove]

I saw this the other night as part of Opera North's Festival of Britten, and it was the best by a considerable margin. The production is not as beautiful or as evocative of its Venetian location as ENO's latest (which I saw with a miscast Bostridge in the lead role), but it was distinguished through exquisite orchestral playing and an entirely cogent and convincing interpretation from Richard Farnes. What a fascinating and gorgeously orchestrated score this is. Alan Oke's von Ashenbach was magnificently sung and acted. His disintegration from fastidious reflective conservatism to unhinged seedy dishevelment was harrowing, no other word will do. When he turns to the audience to reveal what the barber has done to 'beautify' him, it is a shocking and sorrowful sight of a once great man laid low. I also thought Peter Savidge as the multi-part tempter/tutor/torturer truly horrible (and that is meant as a compliment), giving an unmannered but insidious performance, excellently sung. Tadzio was an androgynous youth, and I was not bothered that the character was played by a female dancer. Great support from the chorus. But Oke's wonderful performance will live long in the memory.

The subject matter of this work, like Lolita, will always make it difficult and liminal. Does anyone (Mary?) know how it was received originally?

[Sir Velo]

Tadzio was an androgynous youth, and I was not bothered that the character was played by a female dancer.

Exactly. Given the fact that it is not a singing role, and that Tadzio is a particularly feminine boy, it seems crazy to complain when a female is cast in the part.

Pears, himself, called the opera "evil", and many of Britten's acquaintances expressed disquiet at the setting of this text, feeling that it was too close to the bone, as it were.

[Nick Armstrong]

I believe a DVD is due out this month of Deborah Warner's ENO production, with John Graham Hall. It should be quite good. I saw Ian Bostridge in it. Again it is visually beautiful.

This is good news, Mary - I hoped that the SkyArts transmission would make it onto DVD/Blu-ray.... but I can find no sign that it has or will. What made you think one was due out? I hope you're right!

[Mary Chambers]

Exactly. Given the fact that it is not a singing role, and that Tadzio is a particularly feminine boy, it seems crazy to complain when a female is cast in the part.

Pears, himself, called the opera "evil", and many of Britten's acquaintances expressed disquiet at the setting of this text, feeling that it was too close to the bone, as it were.

I don't think Tadzio is meant to be a feminine boy at all, at least not in the Britten version, but in any case the girl who played him wasn't a feminine girl! (Not in this part, anyway.)

I often wonder if that quotation from Pears is in fact accurately recalled. It seems an unlikely thing for him to say, unless perhaps he was referring purely to the fact that it was, almost literally, killing its composer.

Death in Venice is about very much more than just a man falling in love (from a distance) with a boy. I'm sure to both Britten and Pears the themes of age, sickness and the struggle with creativity mattered just as much. They certainly do to me as audience. To reduce it to sexuality alone is over-simplifying to a degree.

I think there was some disquiet at the time about it, but only because of this same over-simplification. I don't really remember. People were very impressed with Pears's performance which, alas, I never saw.

[Mary Chambers]

This is good news, Mary - I hoped that the SkyArts transmission would make it onto DVD/Blu-ray.... but I can find no sign that it has or will. What made you think one was due out? I hope you're right!

I read I somewhere, but am now beginning to have doubts myself. I'd like a DVD of that production.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I don't watch opera DVDs very much, but of the current ones Tony Palmer's is the most beautiful to look at, and has some of the original cast. It was filmed in Venice, and was intended to have Pears as Aschenbach, but he had a stroke at the last minute, and Robert Gard took his place.

They're just about to show this on SkyArts!

[Black Swan]

Watching it as well but much more of a movie than an opera. But interesting. I attended Opera North's Production earlier. My take on it was not the same as others on the forum. I also have previously stated that a girl playing Tadzio is wrong. I know the role is hard to cast but there are males who can play the role and I don't understand the rationale for a girl playing Tadzio.