Page 608 - Media Coverage Book - 75th Aldeburgh Festival 2024

seemingly wandering as a ‘homeless’ person, this rather sad and confused character is
travelling with a rather worn and well-used duvet. Grief-stricken, agitated and distressed,
looking for her long-lost son took its toil with the role (created for Peter Pears) vividly
portrayed by Bostridge who played the part to the full delivering an honest and convincing
account while his acting abilities handsomely matched his vocal prowess.

Roughly dressed, wearing an anorak, the storyteller in the pack, Duncan Rock, brilliantly
portrayed the Ferryman (written for John Shirley-Quirk) while the strong deep bass voice of
Willard White stamped his authority on the role of Abbot/Narrator thereby strengthening and
enriching the Christian dimension of this compelling piece of Noh theatre. Although
harbouring rich and diverse religious influences nowadays the Noh tradition is predominantly
an artistic and literary form that has moved miles away from its religious/ritual origins. The
cast was completed by Marcus Farnsworth putting in a comfortable and rewarding
performance as The Traveller (written for Bryan Drake) who, describing his nomadic life, has
intentions to cross the Curlew River.

However, the most poignant moment in the whole of this intense and captivating drama
surrounds the Ferryman’s story where it’s abundantly clear that the boy he’s describing is the
child of the Madwoman. Broken-hearted, she joins in prayer at her son’s graveside on the far
bank of Curlew River and at the climactic moment when all the Monks are chanting together,
the Spirit of the Boy (sung offstage by Matthew Jones, acted onstage by Daniel Harrison) is
heard echoing them with his spirit glowing above the tomb to reassure his mother: ‘Go your
way in peace, mother. The dead shall rise again. And in that blessed day. We shall meet in
heav’n.’ At this point, the Madwoman is redeemed, her madness lifts which is lovingly
depicted in a deep and moving scene with her singing a joyful and colourful ‘Amen’ with the
full cast joining in signalling a sign of return and acceptance.

The quiet and dignified ending is punctuated by the return of the robing music while the
chorus of eight pilgrims resume their day-to-day attire singing plainsong as they process
along the nave towards the west end of the church thus mirroring the start of the performance.
A truly memorable production that received a standing ovation from an adoring audience.

The performance was recorded by BBC TV for future broadcast in a film by Ad Lib
Productions directed by Dominic Best.

The final ‘shout’ of Aldeburgh’s 75th Festival gloriously opened with Britten’s Suite from
Death in Venice arranged in 1984 by Steuart Bedford, a close associate of the composer, in a
well-controlled performance of elegance and tenderness by the Hallé under Mark Elder.
Stuart Bedford, in fact, conducted the opera’s première at the 1973 Aldeburgh Festival. A
continuous orchestral work, it could well be described as an ‘operatic symphony’ and the
score flows smoothy and logically through the salient points of the opera’s scenario falling
into seven clearly distinct and recognizable sections: Summon to Venice; Overture to Venice;
First Beach Scene; Sight of Tadzio; Pursuit; Second Beach Scene; Death.

In stark contrast to the lightness and melancholic score to Death in Venice, the Hallé turned
their attention to one of the big guns of 19th-century music, Gustav Mahler, delivering a fine
rendering of the composer’s mighty fifth symphony written over the summers of 1901-02 at
the composer’s holiday retreat at Maiernigg near Maria Wörth, Carinthia, Austria.