Study on Stage Works relating the Trilogy of Church Parables by Benjamin Britten

• Main Authors: Wei-Yang Chen, 陳威仰
• Other Authors: 顏綠芬
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/gdwt9w

博士 === 國立臺北藝術大學 === 音樂學系博士班 === 98 === Britten has been widely acclaimed as one of the most outstanding English composers of the 20th century. His ways of composition of music are abundantly characteristic of English. His Peter Grime (1945) put him on the map of the classical music worldwide, and it also brought the English opera back to life. Britten’s 1955 Asian tour, starting from Near East, Southeastern Bali, and Hong Kong to Japan, enabled him to experience an Oriental “reality” beyond his imagination, which could later be seen in his operas, ballets, and vocal music. This dissertation discusses how the Oriental elements in Britten’s works are applied in the form of Western musicology in an elaborate way. It further discusses how the contents of the above-mentioned works convey Oriental religion/philosophy and Western theology. Take for instance the trilogy Curlew River (1964), The Burning Fiery Furnace (1966) and The Prodigal Son (1968) in his novel genre Church Parables. In addition to the integration of the Japanese Noh play and Christian spirits, Britten also makes use of Western orchestration in order to create the Balinese gamelan style. In this series of his works, Britten demonstrates his curiosity and fantasy about the romantically exotic and mythical elements of the Orient. The works as a whole, from the vantage points of the Japanese Zen Buddhism, Jewish theology, and Christian theology, offer a clear reflection on the processes of interactions among different cultures.