Famous people. Benjamin britten

A sharp rise after the premiere

• A year later, the Glydenburn Opera House, whose troupe soon received the name of the Small Opera Company of the Covent Garden Theatre, staged Britten's new opera, The Reproach of Lucretia. The fate of Lucretia, the wife of the Roman commander Lucius Collatinus, was first described by Tacitus, and then retold many times by poets, writers, playwrights, including Shakespeare.
• Tsar Tarquinius abused Lucretia. She committed suicide, unable to bear the shame. In her opera, Britten, passionately indignant, stands in defense of Lucrezia. One of the most stunning scenes in the opera takes place in the bedchamber. Against the faithful, loving wife of the commander, Tarquinius turns strength, meanness, weapons. The composer talks about Lucrezia with the music of a lullaby. It contains the very purity of a serene child's sleep. The Lamentation of Lucretia is the first opera in which Britten turns to a chamber cast: six performers of stage roles, including secondary ones; thirteen people in the orchestra, and since the genre of opera is close to ancient tragedy, a choir is introduced to comment on the action, anticipating stage events with their remarks. But the choir parts are entrusted to... two singers: a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. Interestingly, the two main performers of the "role of the choir" in the Small Opera Company were outstanding artists Peter Pearce and Sylvia Fischer.

Britten, as it were, recreates the language of the theater of Purcell and Handel, which evokes direct associations with the style of the operatic retelling of the events of ancient history. The grandeur, severity, strength coming from Handel's images are contrasted with touchingness, femininity, trepidation, which makes one recall Purcell's writing style.

• Britten, as it were, recreates the language of the theater of Purcell and Handel, which evokes direct associations with the style of the operatic retelling of the events of ancient history. The grandeur, severity, strength coming from Handel's images are contrasted with touchingness, femininity, trepidation, which makes one recall Purcell's writing style.

• Britten used in the new opera
• methods
• predecessors