Opera in the 20th century

The year 1957, a year with many premieres of new works in classical music. There was the Second Horn Concerto by Malcolm Arnold, Luciano Berio’s Mutazioni, Charles Ives’ First String Quartet, Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Eleventh Keyboard Piece, Iannis Xenakis’ Pithoprakta, and Igor Stravinsky’s Agon. There were at least as many new compositions which saw the light of day: the Orchestral Variations by Aaron Copland, the Requiem for Strings by Toru Takemitsu, the Fourth Symphony by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, and the Concerto for Orchestra by Ennio Morricone.
A lot of new works in the world of opera, where the tradition is gradually being thrown overboard and everyone is acting in a way they see fit. This could sometimes lead to beautiful things. Are you listening?

In this episode excerpts from:

·     Benjamin Britten – Noye’s Fludde

·     Gian Franceso Malipiero – Venere Prigioniera

·     Werner Egk – Der Revisor

Other opera and opretta productions from 1957:

·              Paul Hindemith – Die Harmonie der Welt

·              Vissarion Shebalin – The Taming of the Shrew (Укрощениестроптивой)

·              Carlos Chávez – The Visitors

·              Ernst Krenek – The Bell Tower

·              Wolfgang Fortner – Bluthochzeit

·              Benjamin Britten – Noye’s Fludde

·              Giselbe Klebe – Die Räuber

·              Mark Bucci – Tale for a Deaf Ear

·              Domonick Argento – The Boor

·              Dmitry Kabalevsky- Song of Spring