Down by the Greenwood Side is a "dramatic pastoral" composed by Harrison Birtwistle to a text by Michael Nyman. It was first performed on 8 May 1969 at the Festival Pavilion, West Pier, Brighton.[1] The New York Philharmonic staged the opera as part of their New Horizons music festival in 1984 with conductor Larry Newland leading singers Susan Belling, Bruce Vernon Bradley, Richard Levine, John Lankston and James Billings.[2]
The text comes from two sources: a popular ballad called "The Cruel Mother", and passages from various mummers plays, the folk plays of the English countryside. The soprano, Mrs. Green, sings the ballad while the actors and mime perform the play. The two ingredients never meet; both are completely self-contained, involved only in themselves. But near the end, in the final tableau, there is a slight acknowledgement of each other's worlds when the presenter of the mummers' play, Father Christmas, completes the story Mrs. Green has been telling, and Mrs. Green momentarily enters the mummers’ acting area.[3]
Referencesedit
^Kenyon, Nicholas; Walsh, Stephen (1993). Holden, Amanda (ed.). The Viking Opera Guide. London: Viking. pp. 107–8. ISBN0-670-81292-7.
^John Rockwell (June 10, 1984). "HORIZONS: NEW-MUSIC FESTIVAL ENDS". The New York Times.
^Sir Harrison Birtwistle / Down by the Greenwood Side / A Dramatic Pastoral UE
February 16, 2024
down, greenwood, side, opera, down, greenwood, side, dramatic, pastoral, composed, harrison, birtwistle, text, michael, nyman, first, performed, 1969, festival, pavilion, west, pier, brighton, york, philharmonic, staged, opera, part, their, horizons, music, fe. Down by the Greenwood Side is a dramatic pastoral composed by Harrison Birtwistle to a text by Michael Nyman It was first performed on 8 May 1969 at the Festival Pavilion West Pier Brighton 1 The New York Philharmonic staged the opera as part of their New Horizons music festival in 1984 with conductor Larry Newland leading singers Susan Belling Bruce Vernon Bradley Richard Levine John Lankston and James Billings 2 Down by the Greenwood Sidedramatic pastoral by Harrison BirtwistleThe composer in 2008LibrettistMichael NymanLanguageEnglishBased on The Cruel Mother Premiere8 May 1969 1969 05 08 Festival Pavilion BrightonThe text comes from two sources a popular ballad called The Cruel Mother and passages from various mummers plays the folk plays of the English countryside The soprano Mrs Green sings the ballad while the actors and mime perform the play The two ingredients never meet both are completely self contained involved only in themselves But near the end in the final tableau there is a slight acknowledgement of each other s worlds when the presenter of the mummers play Father Christmas completes the story Mrs Green has been telling and Mrs Green momentarily enters the mummers acting area 3 References edit Kenyon Nicholas Walsh Stephen 1993 Holden Amanda ed The Viking Opera Guide London Viking pp 107 8 ISBN 0 670 81292 7 John Rockwell June 10 1984 HORIZONS NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL ENDS The New York Times Sir Harrison Birtwistle Down by the Greenwood Side A Dramatic Pastoral UE Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Down by the Greenwood Side opera amp oldid 1011559989, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
