I shall never forget the impact made on me by the Japanese theatre”. This was Britten, broadcasting to Japan in 1958, two years after his memorable trip to the country in 1956. He had visited as part of a Far East tour beginning in 1955 and which included stays in Bali, Hong Kong and India. The whole trip had a deep and lasting influence on his compositions from around that time onwards, and perhaps most significantly on his 1964 Church Parable Curlew River. This podcast, hosted by Dr Lucy Walker, explores the background to this fascinating work, including the specific influence of the Japanese Nō play Britten attended, twice, in 1956: Sumidigawa.
The extracts from Britten’s letters and other writings are read by Dr Nicholas Clark, Librarian at Britten Pears Arts. The extracts from Curlew River are from the 1966 Decca recording directed by Britten and Viola Tunnard (with grateful thanks to Decca and Faber Music). The extracts from the English language performance of Sumida River were kindly provided by Dr Kevin Salfen from the University of the Incarnate Word, Texas. It was written by Richard Emmert, based on the play Sumidigawa by Kanze Motomasa. Shite (Madwoman) – Ōshima Kinue; Waki (Boatman) – Richard Emmert; Tsure (Traveller) – Matthew Dubroff; Kokata (Spirit of the Boy) – Miriam Dubroff; Otsuzumi – Ōkura Eitarō; Kotsuzumi – James Ferner; Nohkan – Kevin Salfen; Chorus Leader – Joyce Lim; Chorus – Members of Theatre Nohgaku and students at the University of the Incarnate Word.