Punch and Judy (opera)

"Punch and Judy" is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle and a libretto by Stephen Pruslin, based on the puppet figures of the same names. Birtwistle wrote the score from 1966 to 1967. The opera was first performed at the Aldeburgh Festival, which had commissioned the work, on 8 June 1968, with David Atherton conducting the English Opera Group. [Crosse, Gordon, "First Performances: Birtwistle's "Punch and Judy" (Summer 1968). "Tempo" (New Ser.), 85: pp. 24-26.] The premiere cast included John Cameron as Mr Punch. [cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,679012,00.html | title=Obituary for John Cameron | publisher="The Guardian" | author=Alan Blyth | date=5 April 2002 | accessdate=2007-09-16]

The work caused great controversy with members of the audience, because of the violence of the plot and the nature of the music. Benjamin Britten was reported to have left the premiere at the interval. [cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1238124,00.html | title=The Io Passion | publisher="The Guardian" | author=Andrew Clements | date=14 June 2004 | accessdate=2007-09-11] The first US performance was in Minneapolis, and the first New York performance took place in 1988. [cite news | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED8113AF937A15755C0A96E948260 | title='Punch and Judy' Is Slapstick for Adults | publisher="New York Times" | author=Donal Henehan | date=24 June 1988 | accessdate=2007-09-11] The first performance in Austria was in 1991, by Wien Modern, with Birtwistle supervising the production. [Robinson, J. Bradford, "The Review Section: Live Performance" - "Punching Audiences" (February 1992). "The Musical Times", 133 (1788): p. 90.] Birtwistle directed a revival of the opera at Aldeburgh in June 1991. [Rye, Matthew, "The Review Section: Live Performance - Myth and Ritual" (August 1991). "The Musical Times", 132 (1782): pp. 405-411.]

With reference to the ballet of Igor Stravinsky, Paul Griffiths has characterized Mr Punch as "the exact contrary of Petrushka: a human being behaving as a puppet".Griffiths, Paul, Review of recording of "Punch and Judy" (1981). "The Musical Times", 122 (1657): p. 182.] David Wright has summarized how Birtwistle and Pruslin attempted to treat the characters and music in an archetypal manner to write what they have described as a "source opera". [Wright, David, "Clicks, Clocks & Claques" (July 1994). "The Musical Times", 135 (1817): pp. 426-431.] Jonathan Cross has published a detailed analysis of the opera. [Cross, Jonathan, "Lines and Circles: On Birtwistle's "Punch and Judy" and "Secret Theatre" (July-October 1994). "Music Analysis", 13 (2/3): pp. 203-225.]

Roles

* Mr Punch
* Judy, "wife to Punch"
* Punch and Judy's baby
* Pretty Polly
* Choregos, "friend to Punch"
* The Lawyer
* The Doctor
* Fortune-Teller (sung by the same singer as Judy)
* Witch (sung by the same singer as Pretty Polly)
* Jack Ketch (sung by the same singer as Choregos)

ynopsis

In the course of the opera, Mr Punch commits a series of murders, including of his own infant baby. He also chases after Pretty Polly, an idealized figure, in a quest for redemption and re-integration into society.

Recording

* Decca HEAD 24/25 (LP issue): Stephen Roberts, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Jan DeGaetani, Philip Langridge, David Wilson-Johnson, John Tomlinson; London Sinfonietta; David Atherton, conductor [Knussen, Oliver, "Recordings: Birtwistle: "Punch and Judy" / Ligeti: Scenes and Interludes from "Le Grand Macabre" (Mar., 1981). "Tempo" (New Ser.), 136: pp. 27-29.] [Murray, David, Review of "Punch and Judy" (1990). "Tempo" (New Ser.), 175: p. 53.]

References

ource

*"Viking Opera Guide" ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)