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Assorted items => Concerts => Topic started by: Albion on September 01, 2021, 06:54:46 pm



Title: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 01, 2021, 06:54:46 pm
Flippin' Heck, Flamin' Ada and Bloody Norah! These things seem wondrous in our sight...

https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/ (https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/)

In a remote corner of Cornwall, a God-fearing community lives a desperate, precarious existence. Their only hope is the ships that are wrecked on their rocks. But when they start to cause those shipwrecks deliberately, murdering the crew for profit, it tears the villagers apart, setting in motion a tragedy that kills two of their own.

This powerful, psychological drama of ‘wrecking, religion and love’ was the pinnacle of Ethel Smyth’s career – a work Sir Thomas Beecham praised as a ‘masterpiece’, admired by Mahler. With its sweeping musical soundscapes, passionate central love story, and radical interrogation of fear, hypocrisy and mob violence, it’s not only the missing link in the history of English opera – an ancestor to Britten’s Peter Grimes – but a compelling piece of theatre, whose heroine is a mirror of her fascinating, unorthodox creator.

Directed by Melly Still, this new production will be the first major, professional staging of our lifetime, and the first opportunity to hear the opera as Smyth intended, with its original French libretto. Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati conducts.


 ;D

Only one of many "missing links" in English opera. Start petitioning for a DVD now.

 ;)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 02, 2021, 12:31:56 pm
Flippin' Heck, Flamin' Ada and Bloody Norah! These things seem wondrous in our sight...

https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/ (https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/)

In a remote corner of Cornwall, a God-fearing community lives a desperate, precarious existence. Their only hope is the ships that are wrecked on their rocks. But when they start to cause those shipwrecks deliberately, murdering the crew for profit, it tears the villagers apart, setting in motion a tragedy that kills two of their own.

This powerful, psychological drama of ‘wrecking, religion and love’ was the pinnacle of Ethel Smyth’s career – a work Sir Thomas Beecham praised as a ‘masterpiece’, admired by Mahler. With its sweeping musical soundscapes, passionate central love story, and radical interrogation of fear, hypocrisy and mob violence, it’s not only the missing link in the history of English opera – an ancestor to Britten’s Peter Grimes – but a compelling piece of theatre, whose heroine is a mirror of her fascinating, unorthodox creator.

Directed by Melly Still, this new production will be the first major, professional staging of our lifetime, and the first opportunity to hear the opera as Smyth intended, with its original French libretto. Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati conducts.


 ;D

Only one of many "missing links" in English opera. Start petitioning for a DVD now.

 ;)

Interesting that they're performing it in the French version. As far as I know it's only ever been performed in German and English.


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 02, 2021, 12:42:03 pm
Flippin' Heck, Flamin' Ada and Bloody Norah! These things seem wondrous in our sight...

https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/ (https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/)

In a remote corner of Cornwall, a God-fearing community lives a desperate, precarious existence. Their only hope is the ships that are wrecked on their rocks. But when they start to cause those shipwrecks deliberately, murdering the crew for profit, it tears the villagers apart, setting in motion a tragedy that kills two of their own.

This powerful, psychological drama of ‘wrecking, religion and love’ was the pinnacle of Ethel Smyth’s career – a work Sir Thomas Beecham praised as a ‘masterpiece’, admired by Mahler. With its sweeping musical soundscapes, passionate central love story, and radical interrogation of fear, hypocrisy and mob violence, it’s not only the missing link in the history of English opera – an ancestor to Britten’s Peter Grimes – but a compelling piece of theatre, whose heroine is a mirror of her fascinating, unorthodox creator.

Directed by Melly Still, this new production will be the first major, professional staging of our lifetime, and the first opportunity to hear the opera as Smyth intended, with its original French libretto. Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati conducts.


 ;D

Only one of many "missing links" in English opera. Start petitioning for a DVD now.

 ;)

Interesting that they're performing it in the French version. As far as I know it's only ever been performed in German and English.

Surely this production is too significant to be allowed to escape into the æther without being committed to DVD.


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 02, 2021, 12:44:46 pm
Flippin' Heck, Flamin' Ada and Bloody Norah! These things seem wondrous in our sight...

https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/ (https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/the-wreckers/)

In a remote corner of Cornwall, a God-fearing community lives a desperate, precarious existence. Their only hope is the ships that are wrecked on their rocks. But when they start to cause those shipwrecks deliberately, murdering the crew for profit, it tears the villagers apart, setting in motion a tragedy that kills two of their own.

This powerful, psychological drama of ‘wrecking, religion and love’ was the pinnacle of Ethel Smyth’s career – a work Sir Thomas Beecham praised as a ‘masterpiece’, admired by Mahler. With its sweeping musical soundscapes, passionate central love story, and radical interrogation of fear, hypocrisy and mob violence, it’s not only the missing link in the history of English opera – an ancestor to Britten’s Peter Grimes – but a compelling piece of theatre, whose heroine is a mirror of her fascinating, unorthodox creator.

Directed by Melly Still, this new production will be the first major, professional staging of our lifetime, and the first opportunity to hear the opera as Smyth intended, with its original French libretto. Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati conducts.


 ;D

Only one of many "missing links" in English opera. Start petitioning for a DVD now.

 ;)

Interesting that they're performing it in the French version. As far as I know it's only ever been performed in German and English.

Surely this production is too significant to be allowed to escape into the æther without being committed to DVD.

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 02, 2021, 12:55:36 pm

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?

There are a goodly few interesting Glyndebourne releases on Opus Arte, including Massenet's Cendrillon, Barber's Vanessa, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and Donizetti's Poliuto. It's not unreasonable to keep one's fingers crossed. I am not much of a fan of opera, but I'll make an exception for The Wreckers!


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 02, 2021, 01:11:36 pm

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?

There are a goodly few interesting Glyndebourne releases on Opus Arte, including Massenet's Cendrillon, Barber's Vanessa, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and Donizetti's Poliuto. It's not unreasonable to keep one's fingers crossed. I am not much of a fan of opera, but I'll make an exception for The Wreckers!

Good on ya! I just hope that they don't mess around with the setting and modernise it - chaining Mark and Thirza up next to the Thames Barrier with environmental catastrophe looming. Directors are too prone to let a controversial production get in the way of the work itself.

 ::)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 02, 2021, 02:38:27 pm

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?

There are a goodly few interesting Glyndebourne releases on Opus Arte, including Massenet's Cendrillon, Barber's Vanessa, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and Donizetti's Poliuto. It's not unreasonable to keep one's fingers crossed. I am not much of a fan of opera, but I'll make an exception for The Wreckers!

Good on ya! I just hope that they don't mess around with the setting and modernise it - chaining Mark and Thirza up next to the Thames Barrier with environmental catastrophe looming. Directors are too prone to let a controversial production get in the way of the work itself.

 ::)

Oh yes, such directors and their 're-imaginings' are a pain in the jacksie. These are works of art we're talking about and they shouldn't be vandalised by these pea-brained egoists. In the same way as you shouldn't go into the National Gallery and paint your own boat on a Turner, you shouldn't set Don Giovanni in a knicker factory in 1930s Chicago. >:(


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: cilgwyn on September 02, 2021, 05:57:10 pm

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?

There are a goodly few interesting Glyndebourne releases on Opus Arte, including Massenet's Cendrillon, Barber's Vanessa, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and Donizetti's Poliuto. It's not unreasonable to keep one's fingers crossed. I am not much of a fan of opera, but I'll make an exception for The Wreckers!

Good on ya! I just hope that they don't mess around with the setting and modernise it - chaining Mark and Thirza up next to the Thames Barrier with environmental catastrophe looming. Directors are too prone to let a controversial production get in the way of the work itself.

 ::)
I can almost hear Thomas Beecham in that recording (when he's talking about Ethel Smyth) saying "The Wrreck-ahs!" :o (I nearly typed,arse! :o) That is a surprise! Yes,I hate it when they try and update the setting!


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: cilgwyn on September 03, 2021, 12:30:32 am

Glyndebourne has a good track-record for DVD releases - are they usually on the Opus Arte label?

There are a goodly few interesting Glyndebourne releases on Opus Arte, including Massenet's Cendrillon, Barber's Vanessa, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia and Donizetti's Poliuto. It's not unreasonable to keep one's fingers crossed. I am not much of a fan of opera, but I'll make an exception for The Wreckers!

Good on ya! I just hope that they don't mess around with the setting and modernise it - chaining Mark and Thirza up next to the Thames Barrier with environmental catastrophe looming. Directors are too prone to let a controversial production get in the way of the work itself.

 ::)

Oh yes, such directors and their 're-imaginings' are a pain in the jacksie. These are works of art we're talking about and they shouldn't be vandalised by these pea-brained egoists. In the same way as you shouldn't go into the National Gallery and paint your own boat on a Turner, you shouldn't set Don Giovanni in a knicker factory in 1930s Chicago. >:(
I say,knickers to that! :o ;D


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 12:49:27 am
I can almost hear Thomas Beecham in that recording (when he's talking about Ethel Smyth) saying "The Wrreck-ahs!" :o (I nearly typed,arse! :o) That is a surprise! Yes,I hate it when they try and update the setting!

 :D :D :D

Oh yes, such directors and their 're-imaginings' are a pain in the jacksie. These are works of art we're talking about and they shouldn't be vandalised by these pea-brained egoists. In the same way as you shouldn't go into the National Gallery and paint your own boat on a Turner, you shouldn't set Don Giovanni in a knicker factory in 1930s Chicago. >:(

Indeed, one of the worst I've seen is the Salzburg Festival's 2005 version of Schreker's wonderful Die Gezeichneten (Those Marked by Fate) which turned Alviano from a hunchback into a transvestite, kept the same set throughout all three acts and implied paedophilia at the end. Worra load of old rubbish.

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.GpXCEaQ-YDSCaO-VptyvAQAAAA?pid=ImgDet&rs=1)

 ::)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 09:42:39 am
Oh yes, such directors and their 're-imaginings' are a pain in the jacksie. These are works of art we're talking about and they shouldn't be vandalised by these pea-brained egoists. In the same way as you shouldn't go into the National Gallery and paint your own boat on a Turner, you shouldn't set Don Giovanni in a knicker factory in 1930s Chicago. >:(

A great headmaster who I worked with many years ago was told by an irate parent that he could "shove his effin' school up his effin' jacksie". In penning a polite written response he was perplexed as to how to spell said destination.

 :D

Painting a boat on a Turner reminds me of Mr Bean and "Whistler's Mother".

(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/11/4f/23/114f2364b1a3b81e90c1df08a7ec65f5.jpg)

 ;D

"All we like sheep have gone astray" methinks, heigh-ho. Talk about The Wreckers...

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.81597823dd956f864362483b4cecfe8d?rik=KkjKXccThcUSqQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)

...looks as though this one was indeed shunted up the effin' jacksie.


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 03, 2021, 10:00:14 am

"All we like sheep have gone astray" methinks, heigh-ho. Talk about The Wreckers...

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.81597823dd956f864362483b4cecfe8d?rik=KkjKXccThcUSqQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)

...looks as though this one was indeed shunted up the effin' jacksie.

Wasn't it just? ;D


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 11:26:05 am
The Conifer recording of the 1994 Proms performance (now reissued by Retrospect Opera) is adequate but no more. I lent mine out to a friend many years ago and haven't seen it since. I recall Justin Lavender as being disappointingly effete in the key role of Mark. I may be wrong, I may be right, I may be neither...

 ::)

https://www.retrospectopera.org.uk/SMYTH/Wreckers.html (https://www.retrospectopera.org.uk/SMYTH/Wreckers.html)

...still, it should be in everyone's personal library.

 ;)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 03, 2021, 11:57:22 am
The Conifer recording of the 1994 Proms performance (now reissued by Retrospect Opera) is adequate but no more. I lent mine out to a friend many years ago and haven't seen it since. I recall Justin Lavender as being disappointingly effete in the key role of Mark. I may be wrong, I may be right, I may be neither...

 ::)

https://www.retrospectopera.org.uk/SMYTH/Wreckers.html (https://www.retrospectopera.org.uk/SMYTH/Wreckers.html)

...still, it should be in everyone's personal library.

 ;)

It's in mine (natch).


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 06:12:06 pm
In the meantime, this should keep us going...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIyT62cBA4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIyT62cBA4)

Written by Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and leader in the women’s suffrage movement, The Wreckers was first performed in Germany in 1906 and was mounted in the composer’s homeland in 1909. This powerful three-act opera about piracy, love, and betrayal in a community of religious fanatics received its U.S. premiere in 2015 at Bard SummerScape in a penetrating production directed by Thaddeus Strassberger, with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein.

 :)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 03, 2021, 07:07:01 pm
In the meantime, this should keep us going...

Written by Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and leader in the women’s suffrage movement, The Wreckers was first performed in Germany in 1906 and was mounted in the composer’s homeland in 1909. This powerful three-act opera about piracy, love, and betrayal in a community of religious fanatics received its U.S. premiere in 2015 at Bard SummerScape in a penetrating production directed by Thaddeus Strassberger, with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein.

 :)

Thank you very much. Just the sort of thing I'll need to restore my equilibrium once I'm back from the dentist's tomorrow!


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 07:57:08 pm
In the meantime, this should keep us going...

Written by Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and leader in the women’s suffrage movement, The Wreckers was first performed in Germany in 1906 and was mounted in the composer’s homeland in 1909. This powerful three-act opera about piracy, love, and betrayal in a community of religious fanatics received its U.S. premiere in 2015 at Bard SummerScape in a penetrating production directed by Thaddeus Strassberger, with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein.

 :)

Thank you very much. Just the sort of thing I'll need to restore my equilibrium once I'm back from the dentist's tomorrow!

Bless ya, good luck with the tooth-fairy. There's an MP3 of the Bard School rendition now in BIMA amplified to the point of audibility! It benefits from a staged performance...

 ;)


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 03, 2021, 09:20:58 pm
In the meantime, this should keep us going...

Written by Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and leader in the women’s suffrage movement, The Wreckers was first performed in Germany in 1906 and was mounted in the composer’s homeland in 1909. This powerful three-act opera about piracy, love, and betrayal in a community of religious fanatics received its U.S. premiere in 2015 at Bard SummerScape in a penetrating production directed by Thaddeus Strassberger, with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein.

 :)

Thank you very much. Just the sort of thing I'll need to restore my equilibrium once I'm back from the dentist's tomorrow!

Bless ya, good luck with the tooth-fairy. There's an MP3 of the Bard School rendition now in BIMA amplified to the point of audibility! It benefits from a staged performance...

 ;)

Thanks again. Just a check-up, hopefully. :-\


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: Albion on September 03, 2021, 09:33:48 pm
Thanks again. Just a check-up, hopefully. :-\

Hey, who needs teeth anyway?

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/07/20/b50720645e571e62349aada59b766a35.jpg)

 :D


Title: Re: Ethel Smyth's 'The Wreckers' at Glyndebourne 2022
Post by: guest822 on September 03, 2021, 10:05:50 pm
Thanks again. Just a check-up, hopefully. :-\

Hey, who needs teeth anyway?

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/07/20/b50720645e571e62349aada59b766a35.jpg)

 :D

 ;D