Gloriana - what else?

[Roehre]

Gloriana is to be revived to celebrate its own Jubilee.

Is it really terrible?

No, it isn't terrible. I personally like it very much. I don't really understand the bad press it regularly gets (and certainly got), though one can see where it comes from [the "old fashioned" historical un-britten-like plot, the incorporation of mock-Tudor music, the necessary cast and the Elisabethan grandeur it needs to have to be successful]. But when even the Gloriana-suite is hardly performed, with really glorious (pun certainly intended ) music, what are the chances for the opera?

As soon as a work of Britten's is "outside" the "normal" pattern of expectations, it is said to be terrible. That's how The Prince of the Pagodas, or the suite "A time there was" are perceived and received too, aren't they? Comparing Gloriana with e.g. (the IMO much weaker) The Rape of Lucretia, or Death in Venice shows what I mean.

[Mary Chambers]

As soon as a work of Britten's is "outside" the "normal" pattern of expectations, it is said to be terrible. That's how The Prince of the Pagodas, or the suite "A time there was" are perceived and received too, aren't they?

I ddin't realise The Prince of the Pagodas was considered 'terrible'. I thought it was just that the silly plot (not Britten's fault) made it relatively unsuccessful as a ballet, though it's also being revived.

[Roehre]

I ddin't realise The Prince of the Pagodas was considered 'terrible'. I thought it was just that the silly plot (not Britten's fault) made it relatively unsuccessful as a ballet, though it's also being revived.

The silly plot of "The Prince of the Pagodas" hasn't done any good to the IMO in more than one sense exceptional score.
It has been revived on stage. That is true. But compared to "lesser" pieces of Britten's, how many times has it been performed (un-staged that is) and/or recorded.? Even the Pagodas-suite shares that fate

[Mary Chambers]

The silly plot of "The Prince of the Pagodas" hasn't done any good to the IMO in more than one sense exceptional score.
It has been revived on stage. That is true. But compared to "lesser" pieces of Britten's, how many times has it been performed (un-staged that is) and/or recorded.? Even the Pagodas-suite shares that fate

That's true. It's being performed at Covent Garden in June, but I'm not sure I've ever heard it in the concert hall, though I can think of a few percussionists who would love a go at it. I have the Knussen recording, and the Britten one, which I think is incomplete, is being reisssued by Decca.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Rather like the Tippett discussion of a few months ago, we seem to each have a different idea of which of Britten's works are the least/less successful: I love Death in Venice and Lucretia (Ferrier and Baker associations, you see: just can't fail Musically with me!) and A Time there Was, but I haven't yet "twigged" Gloriana or the whole of Pagodas.