Britten

[silvestrione]

Yes, I agree Ronay is a very good sports writer, ranging from hilarious to trenchant, and managing to keep an even keel, morally, in, what he will often remind you is, a suspect world. Therefore I think his response here is valuable, hard-hitting, honest and direct. I have not seen this production, but it does make me suspect that it is in the current trend of a director intervening unsubtly. An onstage rape!

[oliver sudden]

I suspected the same until I read the other reviews. Would very much welcome input from anyone who’s seen it!

[Master Jacques]

Yes, I agree Ronay is a very good sports writer, ranging from hilarious to trenchant, and managing to keep an even keel, morally, in, what he will often remind you is, a suspect world. Therefore I think his response here is valuable, hard-hitting, honest and direct. I have not seen this production, but it does make me suspect that it is in the current trend of a director intervening unsubtly. An onstage rape!

The trouble is, that this particular reviewer doesn't have the experience to separate the production from the work. In a word, he didn't prepare himself for the experience by doing any homework, expecting to be spoon-fed as a modern "consumer". This is the curse of lazy, modern opera-going and opera-production. Added to which, the music clearly meant nothing to him whatsoever. He had not the faintest inkling of the musical masterwork he was there to experience. As a result his silly pensées are not worth reading, a classic example of the superficial, arrogant bigotry of populist journalism.

[Ein Heldenleben]

The trouble is, that this particular reviewer doesn't have the experience to separate the production from the work. In a word, he didn't prepare himself for the experience by doing any homework, expecting to be spoon-fed as a modern "consumer". This is the curse of lazy, modern opera-going and opera-production. Added to which, the music clearly meant nothing to him whatsoever. He had not the faintest inkling of the musical masterwork he was there to experience. As a result his silly pensées are not worth reading, a classic example of the superficial, arrogant bigotry of populist journalism.

Yes indeed . You wouldn’t go to a football match without understanding the rules would you ? It’s an insult really.

Extraordinary the way Britten gets inside the James tale and produces something even more creepy. Just one tiny detail - Those demonic piano scales that Miles practises …rings true for any child pianist made to endure them.
Can’t hear the words “easy to take “ without shuddering.

[Hitch]

The days of Neville Cardus seem far away.

[Pulcinella]

Curlew River on BBC4 on 17 November 2024, and then on iPlayer.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/18a2b5e3-d875-4f0d-bdb9-47b9adee8dc7?shareToken=d839dcaa7cabd99b63bd63747ec9fb96

[smittims]

Mr Bostridge has all my sympathy. It was a terrible discourtesy towards the hard work an artist puts into his performance.

Was anyone there? I see contradictory accounts here. The headlines tell us he 'lost his rag' and was driven 'hopping mad' but the body of the article tells us he merely 'asked' the audience not to use thier phones.

I'm relieved to see the CBSO management seem to have realised they went too far in inviting audience members to use their phones during the performance. But I don't think their revised request will stop the rot now. I expect many people attending their first concert have seen the stupid antics at the Last Night of theProms and think it is normal. It soon will be. No wonder fewer music lovers are going to concerts. I wouldn't. I've even reduced my rail travelling because of this nuisance,and the refusal of rail staff to enforce the 'quiet coach' rules.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Curlew River on BBC4 on 17 November 2024, and then on iPlayer.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/18a...bd63747ec9fb96

The rumours are that the Curlew River is exceptional.
I think even filming the applause, which is still allowed , is a bit off - you should be applauding.
The only reason people film the bows is to tweet it and brag about how cultured , popular and “busy” they are.
A proper tweet would be a reasoned minimum 250 word critique of the performance - those are also quite useful to others at the beginning of opera and theatre runs unless written by the performer’s mum.

[rauschwerk]

The rumours are that the Curlew River is exceptional.

I was there, and certainly thought so. I look forward to seeing the TV broadcast. It might give an even better impression than the one I got from the pews in Blythburgh church.

[duncan]

Mr Bostridge has all my sympathy. It was a terrible discourtesy towards the hard work an artist puts into his performance.

But I don't think their revised request will stop the rot now. I expect many people attending their first concert have seen the stupid antics at the Last Night of theProms and think it is normal. It soon will be. No wonder fewer music lovers are going to concerts. I wouldn't. I've even reduced my rail travelling because of this nuisance,and the refusal of rail staff to enforce the 'quiet coach' rules.

I wasn't at the Bostridge performance but it wouldn't be the first time a sub has written a headline that doesn't entirely fit what is written in the article or what happened on the ground.

Regarding your more general points, from the perspective of someone who sees live music about once a week, mostly in London, mostly classical:

I don't see a significant amount of mobile phone use during performance in opera, classical or sit-down jazz events. People frequently take photos during curtain calls. I occasionally see audience check phones during performances. Different venues have different levels of tolerance of this, usually related to the architecture and ambient lighting. In the Royal Opera House or Ronnie Scott's, where you are never far from an usher and the lights are dimmed, you'll be swooped on very quickly. In the middle of the arena at The Proms, not so much. The Last Night is sui genesis and I don't think behaviour here has any influence on other classical concerts. Filming and photography is omnipresent at the stand-up pop and rock concerts I have been to. Their attendance is booming despite phone use (and above inflation rises in ticket prices).

I'd class mobile phone photography at classical concerts an occasional irritant rather than the end of civilisation as we know it. At present photography disturbs me less than ringtones, pings, or indeed coughing. I'm happy to read Birmingham has rowed-back from the previous stance of encouraging photography during performance.

[smittims]

Thanks, duncan; that's useful to know.

[Pulcinella]

It seems extraordinary that of the three Church Parables, it would seem that Curlew River is the only one that exists in a recording other than the original Britten-directed Decca set.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8084065--britten-curlew-river

BBC MM released a Birmingham performance of The Prodigal Son as a cover CD, but that's all I'm aware of (though I've not looked to see if there are any YouTube performances)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britten-Prodigal-Music-Vol-1998-08-02/dp/B01KASHTN2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=20WJ2XCDJQ9NJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SPbD0MHE4vFdzLF4C6Ncjo17YAk0BixSnWGm00nGqGL-EnDP7w3jqLEneLZEGch9.d8X1-gQeN-ctYt93VW5DlpFioN5bNDJ5PpsaGBmWAk4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Prodigal+son+britten&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1731860051&s=music&sprefix=prodigal+son+britten%2Cpopular%2C90&sr=1-2

[LMcD]

There's a performance on YouTube, recorded at the 1998 Aix-en-Provence Festival International D'Art Lyrique. This can also be accessed via Arte TV.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I wasn't at the Bostridge performance but it wouldn't be the first time a sub has written a headline that doesn't entirely fit what is written in the article or what happened on the ground.

Regarding your more general points, from the perspective of someone who sees live music about once a week, mostly in London, mostly classical:

I don't see a significant amount of mobile phone use during performance in opera, classical or sit-down jazz events. People frequently take photos during curtain calls. I occasionally see audience check phones during performances. Different venues have different levels of tolerance of this, usually related to the architecture and ambient lighting. In the Royal Opera House or Ronnie Scott's, where you are never far from an usher and the lights are dimmed, you'll be swooped on very quickly. In the middle of the arena at The Proms, not so much. The Last Night is sui genesis and I don't think behaviour here has any influence on other classical concerts. Filming and photography is omnipresent at the stand-up pop and rock concerts I have been to. Their attendance is booming despite phone use (and above inflation rises in ticket prices).

I'd class mobile phone photography at classical concerts an occasional irritant rather than the end of civilisation as we know it. At present photography disturbs me less than ringtones, pings, or indeed coughing. I'm happy to read Birmingham has rowed-back from the previous stance of encouraging photography during performance.

I went to Ronnie’s with a friend many years ago . He had an SLR camera and we asked permission to take photos . There was absolutely no problem - but no flash. That SLR would have produced an audible click but one buried in the amplification. Of course these days the modern digital SLR camera could run video and that’s much more of a problem for copyright reasons.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was there, and certainly thought so. I look forward to seeing the TV broadcast. It might give an even better impression than the one I got from the pews in Blythburgh church.

The rumours and indeed you are right, Magnificently sung with Ian Bostridge and Duncan Rock stunningly good. Not a weak link anywhere. Sir Willard as the Abbot is luxury casting indeed.