Barbican Britten: Curlew River

Inspired by Japanese Noh theatre, Benjamin Britten's church parable, Curlew River is a 'once heard, never forgotten' work.

Performing at Barbican Britten for three special performances, we capture some of this haunting production as Curlew River is brought to life in the beautiful surroundings of St Giles, Cripplegate, under the direction of multimedia artist Netia Jones with music by Britten Sinfonia and an outstanding British cast led by tenor Ian Bostridge.

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[mjc]

I SAW THIS MAGICAL PERFORMANCE TWICE ..10/10

[hori]

You should try to see the original Noh play. I think it exists on YouTube, but you may have to enter the Japanese characters. Because the main character wears a mask, the tension is created by subtle movements and the shifting of light on the mask. When I saw the play I broke out in tears as the ghost of the son comes out from behind the mound, and the mother reaches out to grab him, but is unable to, and the son runs back behind the mound.
Sorry, but this atonal singing, screeching, and blasting brass is just not for me, but it's beautifully staged. I just turned off the sound because I know the story.