The Burning Fiery Furnace

"The Burning Fiery Furnace" is one of the three "Parables for Church Performances" composed by Benjamin Britten, dating from 1966, and is his Opus 77. The other two 'church parables' are "Curlew River" (1964) and "The Prodigal Son" (1968). William Plomer was the librettist.

The work was premiered at Orford Church, Suffolk, England, on 9 June 1966 by the English Opera Group. [John Warrack, "First Performances: Britten's "The Burning Fiery Furnace". "Tempo", No. 78, pp. 22-23 (1966).] The original cast included Peter Pears (Nebuchadnezzar) and Bryan Drake (the Astrologer) [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article35826.ece Elizabeth Forbes, Obituary for Bryan Drake. "The Independent", 2 January 2002] ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,681234,00.html Keith Grant, Obituary for Bryan Drake. "The Guardian", 9 April 2002.] ] . The instrumentalists included the percussionist James Blades. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,296880,00.html David Corkhill, Obituary for James Blades. "The Guardian", 29 May 1999.] ] Set designs were by Annena Stubbs. Colin Graham was the stage director of this first production. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2053228,00.html Alan Blyth, Obituary for Colin Graham. "The Guardian", 10 April 2007.] ]

The scale and manner of instrumentation are similar to those in "Curlew River", but one notable difference is the use of the alto trombone. [cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/4/3/178 | last=Thomas | first=Christopher J. | title=The Church Parables | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=4 | issue=3 | pages=178–184 | date=1986 | accessdate=2008-05-01 | doi=10.1093/oq/4.3.178]

Clifford Hindley has commented on a reading of a subtext sympathetic to homosexuality on the part of both Britten and Plomer in their treatment of the story. [Clifford Hindley, "Homosexual Self-Affirmation and Self-Oppression in Two Britten Operas". [http://mq.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol76/issue2/index.dtl "The Musical Quarterly", 76(2)] , pp. 143-168 (Summer 1992).]

ynopsis

"The Burning Fiery Furnace" tells the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the three Israelites, Ananias, Misael and Asarias (corresponding Babylonian names; Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego), who were thrown into a furnace for their refusal to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold. However, God saves them from death, as the voice of an angel joins the Israelites in a 'Benedicte'.

Recording

Britten himself, along with Viola Tunnard, supervised the first commercial recording of this work, for Decca/London, with the following participants:
* Nebuchadnezzar: Peter Pears
* The Astrologer: Bryan Drake
* Ananias (Shadrach): John Shirley-Quirk
* Misael (Meshach): Robert Tear
* Asarias (Abednego): Stafford Dean
* The Herald: Peter Leeming
* Chorus of Courtiers: Graham Allum, Peter Bedford, Carl Duggan, David Hartley, John McKenzie, Clive Molloy, Malcolm Rivers
* The Acolytes: Robert Alder, Paull Boucher, James Newby, Stephen Price, Christopher Taylor

References

External links

* [http://www.brittenpears.org/?page=britten/repertoire/opera/furnace.html Britten-Pears Foundation, page on "The Burning Fiery Furnace"]