New Elizabethans: Benjamin Britten.

[Mary Chambers]

A short Radio 4 programme in the New Elizabethans series, today at 12-45 and now on iPlayer. James Naughtie on Benjamin Britten.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01k2cqp/The_New_Elizabethans_Benjamin_Britten/

[ardcarp]

Just heard it. It was a necessarily brief canter through Britten's life and music aimed at a Radio 4 audience. But given those limitations, it is hard to imagine it being better done. Did James Naughtie write it as well as delivering it?

[Mary Chambers]

Did James Naughtie write it as well as delivering it?

I think so. I agree it was well done, though if it was for a very general audience I'm surprised that at no point did he mention that Pears was a singer. Some younger people might not know that, hard though it is for me to imagine. He also seemed to imply that Britten and Rostropovich met in the 1970s, when it was in the early 60s. His summary of Britten's character and personality was excellent, I thought.

[Richard Tarleton]

I think so. I agree it was well done, though if it was for a very general audience I'm surprised that at no point did he mention that Pears was a singer. Some younger people might not know that, hard though it is for me to imagine. He also seemed to imply that Britten and Rostropovich met in the 1970s, when it was in the early 60s. His summary of Britten's character and personality was excellent, I thought.

BTW I'm making a big effort to get to know the music Britten wrote for Rostropovich. I'd be grateful for any observations Mary.

[Mary Chambers]

BTW I'm making a big effort to get to know the music Britten wrote for Rostropovich. I'd be grateful for any observations Mary.

I'm not sure that I can be helpful there, Richard. I have to make a big effort myself - it has never particularly appealed to me, and I'm only just beginning to appreciate it. I've never heard any of it live, though I'll be going to a performance of the Cello Symphony next year. I've only heard Rostropovich's recordings, and I'm not sure how anyone will live up to those. My main interest has always been Britten's vocal music.

There was a wonderful film towards the end of the Rostropovich documentary The Genius of the Cello of part of the premiere of the Cello Symphony in Moscow, with Rostropovich and Britten conducting.

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm not sure that I can be helpful there, Richard. I have to make a big effort myself - it has never particularly appealed to me, and I'm only just beginning to appreciate it. I've never heard any of it live, though I'll be going to a performance of the Cello Symphony next year. I've only heard Rostropovich's recordings, and I'm not sure how anyone will live up to those. My main interest has always been Britten's vocal music.

There was a wonderful film towards the end of the Rostropovich documentary The Genius of the Cello of part of the premiere of the Cello Symphony in Moscow, with Rostropovich and Britten conducting.

Thank you! Yes I saw that, it's what sparked my interest - going cheap on Amazon so worth a punt. I was outside the church for the funeral and saw grief-stricken R and PP there.....

[Mary Chambers]

I was outside the church for the funeral and saw grief-stricken R and PP there.....

That must have been quite an experience. I saw film of it - heartbreaking.

[austin]

Off topic but does anyone know anything about this recording, please?

http://tinyurl.com/758sa5v

A

[Northender]

I would be very grateful to hear people's views about this and other versions of Britten's 'Death In Venice' on DVD.

[Mary Chambers]

I've seen Tony Palmer's film, and I think it's as good as it can be without Pears. The rest of the cast is close to the original, though I seem to remember I wasn't happy with Tadzio. Robert Gard does his best, which is pretty good, but I couldn't quite get away from the fact that it would have been Pears if he hadn't been ill. All the same, I thought it a lot better, certainly visually, than the ENO (?) production with Robert Tear, also on DVD.

There's a short film of Pears as Aschenbach in Tony Palmer's excellent film about Britten A Time There Was.

Some of you may be interested in the boxed set of four Tony Palmer films about Britten, due in July:

http://www.benjamin-britten-dvd.com/

[Richard Tarleton]

I liked Deanne Bergsma as Tadzio's mother on stage - I'd previously seen her as the Chosen Maiden in Rite.

[Flosshilde]

Does it work, Mary, being on location? Does any opera filmed in real locations? I would think that sometimes the literal nature of the location & the artificiality of the nature of opera would jar, & in this particular case it would be too similar to the film 'Death in Venice'.

[Mary Chambers]

It's a long time since I saw it, but I don't remember finding the location intrusive, though I'd probably have been just as happy with the John Piper designs. I think I probably saw it before I saw the Dirk Bogarde film - I've never been much of a film-goer. There's an unintentionally hilarious review on Amazon.com (the American Amazon) complaining that the opera film isn't a bit like the 'original Death in Venice', by which the writer appears to mean the Visconti film rather than Mann's novella!

[Flosshilde]

After I posted my query, I did think that Venice is possibly as much of a character as the people; I'll have to read the book to find out how much the location matters. (well, obviously it matters; to see how dominant it is)

[Tevot]

Hello,

I happened to come across some links regarding Britten's Centenary next year. It looks like some good stuff is coming up - including a drama documentary narrated by John Hurt and plenty of performances being hosted at Britten's alma mater Gresham's.

http://www.greshams.com/britten100

http://www.benjaminbrittenfilm.co.uk/

http://www.britten100.org/home

Best Wishes,

Tevot