A Midsummer Night's Dream

This version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Glyndebourne Festival Opera (1981), is a comedy, written by William Shakespeare with music by Benjamin Britten. A libretto is adapted by the composer and Peter Pears. It was premiered on 11 June 1960.

Mendelson, it is not but everyone deserves a chance to express themselves. The only problem with this is because they wanted the opera to sound operatic, it is impossible to understand even in English and requires subtitles to see what they are trying to say. The plot varies some from the play but fits this production.

The costumes may be period but they are distracting from what you would expect. However, the trees looked pretty good.

All the people (probably again because it is supposed to be an opera are old and misplaced for the characters. Naturally, the actors in this version are not the same as the ones that were in the original production.

Cast: Ileana Cotrubas, Titania James Bowman, Oberon Ryland Davies, Lysander Dale Duesing, Demetrius Felicity Lott, Helena Leuwe Visser, Theseus Curt Appelgren, Bottom Donald Bell, Starveling Roger Bryson, Quince It may be possible that this is an acquired taste. If so, this is no place to begin acquiring.

I like Britten's music, though his style may be one that either you love, grows on you overtime(admittedly this was the case with me) or you don't care for it. A Midsummer Night's Dream is not my favourite Britten, I do prefer Peter Grimes, Billy Budd and Albert Herring and Let's Make an Opera is probably his most accessible(especially from a younger perspective), but the story while confusing at first is timeless and the music sparkles. This Peter Hall-directed production is very entertaining. The set design is wonderfully magical and eerie, and the costumes especially the mystical ones for the fairies are sumptuous. The video directing is focused on the comedy and drama and never feels bland. The music is really wonderful, and performed stylishly and beautifully by the orchestra and conducted with precision by Bernard Haitink. The staging also works very well with the highlight being the joy that is the Pyramus and Tisbe drama spoofing Bel Canto and hilariously. The singing is wonderful, the standouts I agree being the sexy and refined Tytania of Ileana Cotrubas and the wonderfully tricky Bottom of Curt Appelgren. Felicity Lott, Cynthia Buchan, Ryland Davies and Dale Duesing also give good turns. James Bowman's Oberon is tall and commanding, but while pleasant his counter-tenor(which Britten deliberately chose for dramatic contrast) voice has been more powerful before. However though, I was very entertained watching this Midsummer Night's Dream. 10/10 Bethany Cox