Britten Thematic Catalogue

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BTC1160 DEATH IN VENICE

Opera in two acts, op. 88
Period of composition: Dec 1971 - Mar 1973
Date notes

An opera based on Mann's novella was considered in 1965, but Britten only approached Myfanwy Piper about a libretto in September 1970.

Revised: Jun 1973-Oct 1974
First performance: 16 Jun 1973 >>
Type of performance: Staged performance
Location: Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh Festival
Performance details:

Peter Pears Gustav von Aschenbach, John Shirley-Quirk '@The traveller etc., James Bowman The voice of Apollo, Deanne Bergsma The Polish mother, Robert Huguenin Tadzio'', ECO

Colin Graham prod, John Piper design Sir Frederick Ashton choreog, Charles Knode costumes, John B. Read lighting design, Steuart Bedford cond

Genre: Stage work
Text: Myfanwy Piper (1911-1997), after the novella by Thomas Mann (1875-1955)
Performing forces:

Cast and orchestra

Principals: Gustav von Aschenbach ten, The traveller/Elderly fop/Old gondolier/Hotel manager/Hotel barber/Leader of the players/Voice of Dionysus bass-bar, The voice of Apollo counter-ten

Solo chorus parts: Danish lady, Russian mother, English lady, French girl, Strawberry seller, Lace seller, Newspaper seller, Strolling player sops, French mother, German mother, Russian nanny, Beggar woman contrs, Hotel porter, two Americans, two Gondoliers, Glass maker, Strolling player tens, Ship's steward, Lido boatman, Polish father, German father, Russian father, Hotel waiter, Guide in Venice, Restaurant waiter, Gondolier, Priest in St Mark's English clerk in the travel burea bars and basses

Chorus: youths and girls, hotel guests and waiters, gondoliers and boatmen, street vendors, touts and beggars, citizens of Venice, choir in St Mark's, tourists, followers of Dionysus

Dancers: the Polish mother, Tadzio (her son), her two daughters, their Governess, Jaschiu (Tadzio's friend), other boys and girls, strolling players, beach attendants

Orchestra: 2 fl (=picc), 2 ob, 2 cl in B flat & A, (II=cl in E flat, bass cl), 2 bn - 2 hn, 2 tpt in C, 2 trbn, tuba - timp, 5 perc (2 sd, 2 td, 2 bd (1 large), 3 tom-toms, 3 Chinese drums, small drum, tuned drum in C, cymb, small cymb, 2 susp cymb, tamb, wb, trgl, 2 whips (large and small), 2 tuned gongs, 2 t-t (large and small), wind machine, bells, bell-tree, crotales, vibr, 2 block, 2 xyl (1 small), mar) - harp, pf - str (minimum: 6.4.3.3.2)

Duration: 145'

Act I: 80 mins;

Act II: 65 mins

Dedication: 'To Peter'

Notes

Numerous revisions were made from June 1973 until October 1974 in response to and in preparation for later performances and the first recording. An optional cut was added to the vocal and full scores (Fig 23 (-1) in Act I), but the composer's final wish was that this cut should not be observed and future issues of the scores will be amended accordingly.

Movements

  • Act I >>
    notes:

    Scene 1 (Munich)

    Scene 2 (on the boat to Venice)

    Overture: Venice

    Scene 3 (the journey to the Lido)

    Scene 4 (the first evening at the hotel)

    Scene 5 (on the beach)

    Scene 6 (the foiled departure)

    Scene 7 (the games of Apollo)

  • Act II >>
    notes:

    Scene 8 (the hotel barber's shop: i)

    Scene 9 (the pursuit)

    Scene 10 (the strolling players)

    Scene 11 (the travel bureau)

    Scene 12 (the lady of the pearls)

    Scene 13 (the dream)

    Scene 14 (the empty beach)

    Scene 15 (the hotel barber's shop: ii)

    Scene 16 (the last visit to Venice)

    Scene 17 (the departure)

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