Page 579 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024
P. 579
This pitiless harshness meant that when the miracle occurs, and the Madwoman finally hears the
spirit voice of her dead son – beautifully sung by Matthew Jones – the effect was all the more
moving. Compassion flooded the drama, just as the sunlight flooded the church.
It was a jolt, but a pleasurable one, to move to Snape Maltings concert hall for the sardonic cruelty
of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. This set of 21 songs portraying the revenge of a love-
stricken Pierrot has become a byword for shrieking expressionism, but in this performance from
soprano Claire Booth and the Nash Ensemble it came across as delicately beautiful, wickedly
amusing and above all sexy. IH
The Aldeburgh Festival continues until 23 June. Curlew River will be broadcast by BBC TV at a
later date
