Deeply Moving

Britten's 'Curlew River' in Rome,
experienced by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

The centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth has been overshadowed by Verdi and Wagner's bicentenaries in Italy as elsewhere. A few theatres anticipated the celebrations last year: for example, in May and June 2012 La Scala and Teatro dell'Opera presented excellent productions of Peter Grimes [Engrossing and Moving, 28 May 2012] and of A Midsummer Night's Dream [Quite Different, 25 June 2012]. This year two different productions of The Rape of Lucretia [Truly Powerful, 28 March 2013] have been heard and seen in Ravenna, Modena, Florence, Reggio Emilia and Trieste, Litlle Sweep is planned for the August Macerata Festival and in the Fall Peter Grimes will inaugurate the 2013-2014 Santa Cecilia Season.
Of special importance is Curlew River, one of the parables composed 'for Church performance only'. In my view, Curlew River is very special because it merges Britten's deep religiosity (central to most of his work) with the Far Eastern flavor he acquired during his travels to those distant lands; he transferred this to The Prince of the Pagodas ballet and to the Songs from the Chinese cycle from Chinese poems. Two different productions can be seen in Italy. The first is a joint venture between the Rome Bishopric (remember that the Bishop is the Pope) and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, and had one single performance on 27 June 2013 at the richly decorated Ara Coeli Basilica on Capitol Hill, next to the Capitol Building. On 22 September, Curlew River will be shown in Perugia, as part of the Sagra Musicale Festival, in the San Bevignate Templar Church as well as at a few theatres in Central Italy.

Phillip Addis as The Traveller in the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma production of Britten's 'Curlew River'. © 2013 Luciano Romano

In Rome, stage sets and direction were entrusted to Mario Martone and the musical direction to James Conlon. In Perugia, the dramaturgy is the task of Andrea De Rosa, with musical aspects entrusted to Jonathan Webb.

A scene from the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma production of Britten's 'Curlew River'. © 2013 Luciano Romano

Most of our readers know that Curlew River is a deeply moving parable based on a Japanese noh play. Although the action is moved to East Anglia in medieval times, the plot is the same. Pilgrims are crossing a river to reach a sanctuary. With them is a madwoman who had lost her mind when her twelve-year-old boy was left to die on that river bank. She acquires her peace and her mind again when the humble ferryman (who witnessed the boy's death) tells her The dead shall rise again, And in that blessed day, We shall meet in heav'n. In the Rome production, the plot is set on any river crossing today; this heightens the universal meaning of the parable.

Anthony Michaels-Moore as The Ferryman, Derek Welton as The Abbot and Benjamin Hulett as The Madwoman, in the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma production of Britten's 'Curlew River'. © 2013 Luciano Romano. Click on the image for higher resolution

Curlew River marked a departure in Britten's style for the remainder of the composer's creative life, paving the way for such works as Owen Wingrave, Death in Venice, and the third String Quartet. James Conlon showed in a remarkable manner how, with only seven instrumentalists, tonal twentieth century music can be merged with oriental themes, and how a short seventy minute composition can acquire so many different musical tints -- from Gregorian singing in the initial chorus to the celestial peace of Heaven in the final bars. Apart from the boy, all the interpreters are men, following the Japanese noh theatre tradition. The madwoman is tenor Benjamin Hulett, the ferryman the Wagnerian baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore, and the abbott the bass Derek Welton. The spirit of the boy is the lyric soprano Laura Catrani.