BaL 16.11.13 - Britten: The Turn of the Screw

[DracoM]

I'm afraid I share some of ferneys view. Exotically over-mannered in delivery and actually even, dare I say it, a bit...erm...anaemic.

[jean]

This was drummed into me by a notoriously pedantic music lecturer over 40 years ago. His books are still read and his music is still played, so I won't name names - but melismata is certainly correct.

Everyone knows the Greek plural is melismata.

The only question (which I assume was what ams was wondering about) is wheTher the word has become sufficiently at home in English to be allowed an English plural instead.

A lot can happen in 40 years.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Everyone knows the Greek plural is melismata.

The only question (which I assume was what ams was wondering about) is wheTher the word has become sufficiently at home in English to be allowed an English plural instead.

A lot can happen in 40 years.

The two music dictionaries I've checked, one c1971 and t'other 2007, both say unequivocally 'plural melismata'. But my 1972 Chambers makes no mention of this or any other plural form, which presumably means that even then they expected it to be formed in the regular English way by the addition of an 's'.

[Belgrove]

Not a twofer today! How refreshing to once again hear a carefully constructed radio essay comprising reasoned argument rather than pointless interjections and blathering.
First choice for me remains the DVD Glyndebourne’s production, with Miah Persson, Toby Spence, with the LPO conducted by Jacob Hrusa. Thomas Parfitt’s Miles is an astonishing performance.

[Study Session]

Was just thinking the same. A much more pleasing listen under the old format.

[DracoM]

Not a twofer today! How refreshing to once again hear a carefully constructed radio essay comprising reasoned argument rather than pointless interjections and blathering.
First choice for me remains the DVD Glyndebourne’s production, with Miah Persson, Toby Spence, with the LPO conducted by Jacob Hrusa. Thomas Parfitt’s Miles is an astonishing performance.

Spot on............what a relief.

[ardcarp]

OMG AMAZING. The review just unfolded in a way that was informative and perceptive. I think too it would have helped a listener new to Turn of the Screw to have grasped both Henry James' story and Britten's handling of it.

Very interesting that Bostridge, with a voice production so different from Pears, came over so well. I see that looking over old posts, he is not everyone's favourite tenor. As I think I've mentioned before, it's hard to sing any of Britten's tenor roles without the ghost of Pears lurking. It seems Bostridge has found a way of doing it.

BTW, talking of the BBC Wales film version of Turn of the Screw, it was made only 11 years ago. In that short time things have changed so much it seems impossible that the BBC would commission such a project now.