''The Prodigal Son'' is a music drama by

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

with a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

William Plomer William Charles Franklyn Plomer (10 December 1903 – 20 September 1973) was a South African and British novelist, poet and literary editor. He also wrote a series of librettos for Benjamin Britten. He wrote some of his poetry under the pseud ...

. Based on the

Biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

story of the Prodigal Son, this was Britten's third "parable for church performance", after ''

Curlew River ''Curlew River – A Parable for Church Performance'' (Op. 71) is an English music drama, with music by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by William Plomer. The first of Britten's three 'Parables for Church Performance', the work is based on the ...

'' and ''

The Burning Fiery Furnace ''The Burning Fiery Furnace'' is an English music drama with music composed by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 77, to a libretto by William Plomer. One of Britten's three ''Parables for Church Performances'', this work received its premiere at the St ...

''. Britten dedicated the score to

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

. The first performance took place on 10 June 1968 in

St Bartholomew's Church, Orford The Church of St Bartholomew is the parish church of the town of Orford, England. A medieval church, dating from the fourteenth century, with reconstructions in the nineteenth and twentieth century, it is a Grade I listed building. In addition ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. The instrumentalists included the horn player Neill Sanders and the percussionist

James Blades James Blades OBE (9 September 190119 May 1999) was an English percussionist. He was one of the most distinguished percussionists in Western music, with a long and varied career. His book ''Percussion Instruments and their History'' (1971) is a s ...

Colin Graham Colin Graham OBE (22 September 1931 in Hove, England – 6 April 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri) was a stage director of opera, theatre, and television. Graham was educated at Northaw School (Hertfordshire), Stowe School and RADA. Early in his ...

was the stage director. The United States premiere was presented at the

Caramoor Summer Music Festival The Caramoor Summer Music Festival is a music festival founded in 1945 that is held on the estate of the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, which includes a Mediterranean-style stucco villa and is located about north of New York City in Ka ...

on 29 June 1969 with

Andrea Velis Andrea Velis (7 June 1932 – 4 October 1994) was an American operatic tenor who had a lengthy association with the Metropolitan Opera that spanned 33 seasons. Considered a highly skilled character actor, he excelled in supporting roles, often to g ...

as the Tempter/Abbot. As with the other church parables, the instrumental forces are very modest: flute, horn, viola, double bass, harp, organ and percussion, with the use of the alto flute and small trumpet in D marking changes compared to the other works. The percussion also incorporates a gourd rattle.

Roles

Synopsis

The story centers on a farm family, which consists of a father and his two sons. Servants also help with working the land. The elder son and the servants leave to work the fields for the day. The younger son hears a voice that tempts him to indulge his "most secret longings". The younger son asks his father for his inheritance, which the father grants. The younger son makes his way to the city. There, he is deprived of his fortune and left penniless. The younger son then returns home and asks his father's forgiveness. His father receives his younger son with rejoicing, but the elder son is initially angry at his father's reaction, after he himself has loyally worked the fields. The father rebukes his elder son, and asks him to be reconciled to his younger brother, who has returned to restore the family.

Recordings

Britten and Viola Tunnard directed the first recording of the work, for the Decca label (original listing, Decca SET 438) with the premiere's cast and players. The full cast of singers is: * Tempter/Abbot:

Peter Pears Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears ( ; 22 June 19103 April 1986) was an English tenor. His career was closely associated with the composer Benjamin Britten, his personal and professional partner for nearly forty years. Pears' musical career started ...

* The Father:

John Shirley-Quirk John Stanton Shirley-Quirk CBE (28 August 19317 April 2014) was an English bass-baritone. A member of the English Opera Group during 1964–76, he gave premiere performances of several operatic and vocal works by Benjamin Britten, recording thes ...

* The Younger Son:

Robert Tear Robert Tear (pronounced to rhyme with "beer"), CBE (8 March 1939 – 29 March 2011) was a Welsh tenor singer, teacher and conductor. He first became known singing in the operas of Benjamin Britten in the mid-1960s. From the 1970s until his ...

* The Elder Son: Bryan Drake * Chorus of Servants, Parasites and Beggars: Paschal Allen, Carl Duggan, David Hartley, Philip Hooper, Peter Leeming, John McKenzie, Clive Molloy, Paul Wade * Young Servants and Distant Voices: Gerald Beauchamp, Michael Butler, Jonathan Fox, Richard Hopkins, David Rookwood

References

Notes Sources *Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''Viking Opera Guide'' ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)

External links

Britten-Pears Foundation page on ''The Prodigal Son''

Recordings of ''The Prodigal Son'' on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prodigal Son Operas by Benjamin Britten Chamber operas Operas One-act operas 1968 operas Operas based on the Bible