Britten: A Midsummer Night's Dream / Britten

Alfred Deller - Countertenor, Elizabeth Harwood - Soprano, John Shirley-Quirk - Bass, Heather Harper - Soprano, Josephine Veasey - Mezzo-soprano, Peter Pears - Tenor

After seeing the Canadian Opera Company's production of this Britten opera in May 2009, I was prompted to pick up a copy. What Britten does in this work is more impressive than any of his other operas, including Peter Grimes. Setting Shakespeare's texts to music is no small task (ask Verdi) but Britten is able to create music that makes the text feel fresh and new, as if it was the language we spoke in today's world. The musical styles range from Melismatic, to baroque, Romantic, and even folk songs. Brittan assimilates all of these into this work. The fairy characters are played with feel of medeival/renaissance music, the lovers with a romantic style, and the rustic players with a sense of pastiche of every musical style. The Singers on this production are hand picked by Britten (as he is conducting) and include the likes of Alfred Deller, John Shirley-Quirk, Heather Harper, Peter Pears, and Owen Brannigan. The London Symphony performs wonderfully under Britten. This work is an often-overlooked operatic gem and absolutely worth the chance.

Price: $38.98