Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Gawain
Short instrumentation: 3 3 3 3 - 4 3 3 3 - timp, perc, vib, hp, mar, cimb, vln(24), vla(9), vc(9), cb(9)
Duration: 180'
Dichter der Textvorlage: Anonymus
Libretto von: David Harsent
Dedication: Dedicated to Peter Heyworth
Choir: SATB
Roles:
Morgan le Fay
soprano
Lady de Hautdesert
mezzo-soprano
Arthur
tenor
Guinevere
mezzo-soprano
Fool
baritone
Agravain
baritone
Ywain
tenor
Gawain
baritone
Bishop Baldwin
tenor
The Green Knight / Bertilak
baritone
Instrumentation details:
1st flute
2nd flute (+picc)
3rd flute (+picc)
1st oboe
2nd oboe
3rd oboe (+c.a)
1st clarinet in Bb (+cl(A)
cl(Eb))
2nd clarinet in Bb (+cl(A)
cl(Eb))
3rd clarinet in Bb (+cl(A)
cb.cl(Bb)
bass cl)
1st bassoon (+Lotusflöte)
2nd bassoon (+Lotusflöte)
3rd bassoon (+Lotusflöte
cbsn)
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
2nd 2. Horn in F offstage
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
4th 4. Horn in F offstage
1st trumpet in Bb (+Kornett in Es
picc.tpt)
2nd trumpet in Bb (+cornet)
3rd trumpet in Bb (+flhn)
1st trombone
2nd trombone
3rd trombone (+cb.tbn)
1st tuba (+euph)
2nd tuba
3rd tuba
timpani
vibraphone
marimba
percussion
harp
cimbalom
1-4th violin
5-8th violin
9-12th violin
13-16th violin
17-18th violin
19-20th violin
21-24th violin
1-5th viola
6-9th viola
1-5th violoncello
6-9th violoncello
1-5th double bass
6-9th double bass
Gawain
Translation, reprints and more
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Birtwistle: GawainType: Libretto/Textbuch
Language: Englisch (Großbritannien)
Work introduction
The story of Gawain and the Green Knight is part of the King Arthur legend, one of the deep wells of the past into which Birtwistle and Harsent delved, returning with a trove of sombre music full of suspense. The tempo is slow; the voices mainly intone long, sustained pitches, to shrouded, menacing sounds from the orchestra. Earth Dances (1985/1986) re-echo, but with the difference that Gawain has a plot, it includes voices and the dimensions comprise a different scope. Both of the two acts are cyclic in structure, grouped around the intermezzo at the outset of Act II retelling Gawain’s journey; this is the only time in the opera where the orchestra has an extensive say alone.