Tonight on BBC Radio 3 at 6.30, Harrison Birtwistle’s great opera Gawain: Leigh Melrose in the title role & John Tomlinson as the Green Knight, Martyn Brabbins conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

May 28, 2022 | News | 1 comment

Photo is from Royal Opera’s 1991 production

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017ml3

In this R3 recording (5/2014, Barbican), Martyn Brabbins conducts the preferable original version; when Royal Opera revived Gawain the composer was required to make cuts to avoid overtime payments for the orchestra.

http://www.colinscolumn.com/martyn-brabbins-remembers-harrison-birtwistle/

1 Comment

  1. Patricia Gould
    Patricia Gould on May 29, 2022 at 8:39 am

    What a stupendous opera Gawain is. A fantastic performance too, sustaining the long acts, both 90 minutes, with so much drama and excitement. Brabbins and Tomlinson talking about Birtwistle also made an impression, interesting to hear memories from those close to the composer.

    Reply

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