BaL 8.04.23 - Britten: Peter Grimes

[CallMePaul]

Covered by BaL twice before:

Michael Kennedy (May 96): Britten
Martin Handley (July 07): Colin Davis/ROHCG + Atherton as DVD choice

Therefore would it not have been better to do a BAL on one of Britten's other operas, or even a general survey? A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Turn of the Screw both have several recordings available for comparison. Why o why do R3 producers have so little imagination?

[Pulcinella]

Therefore would it not have been better to do a BAL on one of Britten's other operas, or even a general survey? A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Turn of the Screw both have several recordings available for comparison. Why o why do R3 producers have so little imagination?

I'm tempted to say that it's so they have yet another opportunity to play one of the Sea Interludes: they probably won't have been aired for a day or two, despite being covered separately in a fairly recent BaL.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?24064-BaL-4-06-22-Britten-Four-Sea-Interludes-(from-quot-Peter-Grimes-quot-)

[Wolfram]

Therefore would it not have been better to do a BAL on one of Britten's other operas, or even a general survey? A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Turn of the Screw both have several recordings available for comparison. Why o why do R3 producers have so little imagination?

I can’t remember if either A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lucretia or Albert Herring have ever been covered on BaL; they would all make interesting subjects. The Turn of the Screw and Billy Budd have both been covered by BaL, although not that recently. (I suppose ultimately it depends on what you mean by recently in a BaL context.) The question, as always, is have there been significant additions to the discography since a work was last covered, and with Grimes the answer is probably yes.

[Wolfram]

I guess that there aren’t enough recordings of Dream, Luretia or Death in Venice to warrant a BaL on any of them, although the recordings that there are are all first rate. And surely that would make for just as interesting a programme as if there have been tons to choose from; the reviewer would then have the time to do proper detailed comparisons and to go into much greater depth than the usual glib offerings that we have come to expect. This is where the R3 producers really lack imagination.

[crb11]

I can’t remember if either A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lucretia or Albert Herring have ever been covered on BaL; they would all make interesting subjects. The Turn of the Screw and Billy Budd have both been covered by BaL, although not that recently. (I suppose ultimately it depends on what you mean by recently in a BaL context.) The question, as always, is have there been significant additions to the discography since a work was last covered, and with Grimes the answer is probably yes.

I wondered about this, and it may depend on whether they take into account DVDs or not - which they usually don't for operas. By my reckoning, only three of the list post-date the last BAL, of which Ticciati is DVD only, Bedford probably isn't a contender on CD (but probably would be as a DVD) which leaves just Gardner as a newcomer. If forced to choose, I think that would be my selection, but it's pretty tight between that and Haitink.

[Wolfram]

9

I wondered about this, and it may depend on whether they take into account DVDs or not - which they usually don't for operas. By my reckoning, only three of the list post-date the last BAL, of which Ticciati is DVD only, Bedford probably isn't a contender on CD (but probably would be as a DVD) which leaves just Gardner as a newcomer. If forced to choose, I think that would be my selection, but it's pretty tight between that and Haitink.

Yes, you are right. Just Bedford and Gardner released on cd since it was last covered on BaL. Not enough then I think to warrant a revisit. So those who thought something else should have been chosen instead were right all along. There’s plenty more operas that deserve an outing. Does nobody at the BBC like Cosi Fan Tutte? That hasn’t been covered since John Steane did it well over 20 years ago now, and there have been several new recordings since then.

[smittims]

Well for me, Karajan said it all in 'Cosi', though I like Klemperer too. And Mackerras' English-language version has a point.

[Pulcinella]

Bumping the thread in readiness for today's programme and comments thereon!

[Wolfram]

Bumping the thread in readiness for today's programme and comments thereon!

Looking forward to this one. I have Britten, Davis/Vickers and Gardner. I streamed the Hickox recently and loved the conducting, the orchestral playing, the recorded sound and the strong supporting cast. But oddly I couldn’t get on with Langridge’s Grimes; I suppose he made the character to ordinary in a way, certainly not the insane visionary that Vickers gives us. Maybe that is the point. Thankfully a lot of people are not going to agree with this and I look forward to reading their views. I found the gentle compassion of Janice Watson and Heather Harper’s Ellen Orfords heartbreaking.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Listening to that rather splendid Lohengrin Prelude to Act 3 from Haitink and the Concertgebouw made me think many might wish to use the money saved by not buying another Peter Grimes set to put as a deposit on the £260 113 cd complete Haitink / Concertgebouw set. But there again it’s a matter of duplication.

[Master Jacques]

Does nobody at the BBC like Cosi Fan Tutte? That hasn’t been covered since John Steane did it well over 20 years ago now, and there have been several new recordings since then.

They're unlikely to risk covering Così fan tutte in the current climate: many of the "usual suspects" who cover complete operas find the libretto politically suspect, and dislike giving it house room. After a brief period (mainly post-war) back in the libertarian limelight, Mozart's "problem opera" is in danger of heading back into the shadows.

[Pulcinella]

They're unlikely to risk covering Così fan tutte in the current climate: many of the "usual suspects" who cover complete operas find the libretto politically suspect, and dislike giving it house room. After a brief period (mainly post-war) back in the libertarian limelight, Mozart's "problem opera" is in danger of heading back into the shadows.

It's in Opera North's 2023–2024 season:

Così fan Tutte
2 FEB – 6 APR 2024
At multiple venues

[Ein Heldenleben]

They're unlikely to risk covering Così fan tutte in the current climate: many of the "usual suspects" who cover complete operas find the libretto politically suspect, and dislike giving it house room. After a brief period (mainly post-war) back in the libertarian limelight, Mozart's "problem opera" is in danger of heading back into the shadows.

Do you have an operatic conspiracy theory for everything ? The real “problem” with Cosi Fan Tutte is that the very few people who take an interest in such things seem determined to create a problem when there isn’t one.

[Master Jacques]

Do you have an operatic conspiracy theory for everything ? The real “problem” with Cosi Fan Tutte is that the very few people who take an interest in such things seem determined to create a problem when there isn’t one.

Well, of course I agree with you: I myself certainly find nothing problematic in Così fan tutte (thus my quote marks around the phrase). Yet there's no doubt that the BBC is chary of treading on various kinds of toe. I tend to reserve my own operatic conspiracy theories for the cold-shouldering of Malcolm Williamson!

[Ein Heldenleben]

Well, of course I agree with you: I myself certainly find nothing problematic in Così fan tutte (thus my quote marks around the phrase). Yet there's no doubt that the BBC is chary of treading on various kinds of toe. I tend to reserve my own operatic conspiracy theories for the cold-shouldering of Malcolm Williamson!

It’s almost a challenge not to find an opera that some one somewhere will find an objection to. Thinking about it that’s one of its major attractions. Just look at Grimes - isn’t the libretto patently overly sympathetic to a child abuser ?.