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A Note from the Director

by Leonard Slatkin

“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.”

Gentle Puck, did you really think that you and your company would actually insult us? These words have been with us for more than four hundred years, and still, they delight our minds, ears, and senses. With so many variations on the theme, with ballets, incidental music, films, and reworkings, one would think that operatic adaptations would be plentiful. But there have only been five and Britten’s is the only one to actually follow the entire play.

That is a slight misstatement. In opera, sung text is about three to four times slower than the spoken word. If the entire play were set, we would be in the theater for ten hours. To get it into a more conventional format, Britten and his librettist, Peter Pears, cut about half of the dialogue. As the composer said, “The original Shakespeare will survive.”

But there are 20 characters to deal with and this is where Britten’s incredible score comes literally into play. Although there are no arias in the sense that we are used to, each one of the members of the cast has an almost equal role. Only Oberon, assigned to the countertenor, would appear to be the main protagonist.

There are numerous challenges for all the musicians. At OTSL, one of them is simply figuring out where to put the orchestra. With a rather outsized ensemble, one has to be creative in order to meet the score’s demands. It is worthwhile for audience members to have a look in the pit to see where the musicians are situated.

The stylistic elements employed are quite diverse. They range from nods to Purcell and Mendelssohn to the prevailing modernism of the 1960s. Britten provides atmosphere and his usual orchestral brilliance throughout, starting with those amazing glissandos representing the forest. The chaos of Pyramus and Thisbe is a wonder of musical manipulation.

From its first performance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was recognized as an operatic masterpiece. With a composer at the height of his powers, a perfect story, and a receptive public, we do not have to count ourselves as being among the insulted. Rather, both Shakespeare and Britten have elevated our conscience with this brilliant stage work. I look forward to all the performances and am happy to welcome you to enjoy our take on these visions.

An Introduction to Benjamin Britten

benjiandcolin73-full — Benjamin Britten (L) with former OTSL Artistic Director Colin Graham (R) at the Red House, 1973.

As Opera Theatre of Saint Louis celebrates our 50th Festival Season, we honor a composer with a long history on our stage.

English-born Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) ranks among opera’s most-performed 20th century composers. Fans will recognize his works Peter Grimes (1945), War Requiem (1962), and The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1945), among many others. Because Britten wrote operas in English, his works have always been a natural fit for our stage, easing the language barrier for new audiences and welcoming those who are just discovering their love of opera. Britten loved to use stories that were relatable to the general population…such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, based on the Shakespeare play of the same name.

Originally premiered in 1960, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was composed and conducted by Britten with a libretto adapted in partnership with his longtime collaborator and partner Peter Pears. During their incredibly faithful adaptation process, only one non-Shakespearean line was added.

Britten holds a special place in Opera Theatre lore. Throughout our 50 seasons in St. Louis, we have produced 11 of his 16 operas. This is no coincidence — Britten was a close friend of our former Artistic Director, Colin Graham, who served at Opera Theatre from 1985 until his passing in 2007. In a 1988 article titled “Stage Directions,” Graham reflected on how his work with Britten shaped his career and approach.

“There’s no question,” Graham said, “that Benjamin Britten has been my greatest influence; being invited to work with him so soon on Noye’s Fludde introduced me to his methods, which meant always having the director and the designer (I was both) involved in an opera right from the start, so he could integrate their ideas into the finished composition.”

“Through Britten, it became part of my blood that what finally causes a production to live or die is its response to the composer’s intention,” said Graham. “Music is not just an accompaniment but the springboard of the emotions — it must dictate one’s approach to what happens onstage — and I cannot, therefore, impose a concept on a work unless I feel it will illuminate the message of the text.”

Even as we honor OTSL’s historical ties to Britten, we are excited to share this new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and to celebrate the fresh perspective that each artist brings these treasured works.