Britten’s opera ‘Peter Grimes’ is my turning point. This was the 3rd time for me to see the opera on live yesterday, but that makes me remember the occasion I saw it for the first time every time.
Britten’s operas are tonal music, compared to other operas written in the same era as his. Nevertheless, his music sounds rather contemporary due to his humorous arts of composition. I describe his ways of opera composition as ‘the musical language to express the dramaturgy hidden behind the story’. The elements in his music, sometimes too exaggerated, have the power to narrate the story.
Held at Southbank Centre in London on 30th November 2019, the performance which I saw yesterday was not staged, but a concert version. However, it was not the only reason why it felt really fresh; the tempo was designed to make the performance energetic, the number of the chorus members is much more than usual, and the interpret of articulation was quite different from the performances I have ever heard. That combined what cannot be realised in staged performance with a new interpret of the music essence.
I am not sure, however, if this interpret and direction could be a standard of this opera because that might have been derived from the young conductor, Edward Gardner’s youthful ebullience. Some might have doubted if his conducting was too emotional, and thus he didn’t express the dramaturgy behind the music. Though I partly agree with this view, I believe he created a new perspective and I was glad to be where it was exemplified.
