Peter Pears in the role of General Sir Philip Wingrave
Librettist
Myfanwy Piper
Language
English
Based on
short story by Henry James
Premiere
16 May 1971 (1971-05-16)
broadcast, recorded at Snape Maltings, near Aldeburgh
Owen Wingrave, Op. 85, is an opera in two acts with music by Benjamin Britten and libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a short story by Henry James. It was originally written for televised performance.[1]
Britten had been aware of the story since his work with Piper on his previous opera modelled after a James work, The Turn of the Screw in 1954. BBC television commissioned an opera for television from him in 1966 and, in 1968, he and Piper began work on the libretto. The work was completed by August 1970.
The premiere was recorded at Snape Maltings in November 1970 and first broadcast on BBC2 on 16 May 1971.[2] The music is influenced by Britten's interest in twelve-tone serialist techniques. A large tuned percussion section anticipates the musical treatment of his next (and last) opera, Death in Venice. In addition to its being an expression of Britten's own pacifism, he was reported as saying that this opera was partly a response to the Vietnam War.[3]
The costumes were designed by Charles Knode, who also designed some of the costumes for Death in Venice.
Britten had never owned a television at that time. It has been reported that he hated television and never owned a set at all.[4] This is not strictly true. Perhaps he would have never purchased a set himself, but he was given one by Decca for his 60th birthday in November 1973.[5]
^[1][dead link]Tom Rosenthal, "Military ghost gets a re-shoot". The Daily Telegraph, 16 June 2001.
^Peter Evans, "Britten's television opera". Musical Times, 112(1), 425–428 (1971).
^Tim Ashley, "Skeletons in the closet". The Guardian, 30 March 2007.
^Alfred Hickling, "Britten at his best?", 23 April 2000
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