Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC1118 CURLEW RIVER

A parable for church performance, op. 71
Subtitle: A parable for church performance
Other titles: Sumidigawa River

Original title.

Period of composition: Jan - 26 Mar 1964
Date notes

Work on the libretto began in 1958

First performance: 12 Jun 1964 >>
Type of performance: Staged performance
Location: Orford Church, Aldeburgh Festival
Performance details:

Peter Pears The madwoman, John Shirley-Quirk The ferryman, Bryan Drake The traveller, Robert Carr, Bruce Webb The spriit of the boy, Don Garrard Abbot, EOG chorus, Richard Adeney fl, Neill Sanders hn, Cecil Aronowitz va, Stuart Knussen db, Osian Ellis harp, James Blades perc, Philip Ledger org

Colin Graham prod, Annena Stubbs costumes

Genre: Stage work
Text: William Plomer (1903-1973), from the medieval Japanese Nō play ''Sumidagawa'' by Jūrō Motomasa
Performing forces:

Cast and instruments

Principals: The madwoman ten, The ferryman bar, The traveller bar, The spirit of the boy trbl, Leader of the pilgrims/The abbot bass

Chorus of pilgrims (3 ten, 3 bar, 3 bass), three assistants (acolytes) (silent)

Instruments: fl (=picc), hn, va, db, harp, perc (5 small untuned drums, 5 small bells, 1 large tuned gong), chamber org

The work is to be performed without conductor.

Duration: 71'
Dedication: 'To Michael Tippett, in friendship and admiration'

Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (1905-1998), British composer.

Notes

Britten saw two performances of the Nō play Sumidagawa while in Japan in 1956.

The framing plainchant is 'Te lucis ante terminum', an Office hymn for Compline. 'Custodes hominum', which appears towards the end, is the hymn for second Vespers on the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels.

Resources

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.