Based on this recording, it's clear that British composer William Alwyn (1905-1985) was an expert at writing opera, perhaps due in part to his extensive experience as a film composer. The fact that his opera Miss Julie, based on the
Strindberg play, has never been produced, would be hard to understand, if it were not for the political vagaries of opera companies that anoint certain composers while neglecting works as fine as this one. One hopes that Miss Julie will have the same good fortune as
Richard Rodney Bennett's The Mines of Sulphur and find an advocate to resurrect it and bring it to the public's attention.
Alwyn understands, articulates, and puts into practice a principle of opera that eludes many contemporary opera composers. While the text is critical, its setting must be undergirded by a compelling musical logic reflecting the deep psychology of what is happening in the characters' minds and on stage, rather than simply illustrating the words being sung. Alwyn's style is difficult to pin down; he is an eclectic who uses a variety of resources available to twentieth century composers in the service of a strong lyrical impulse. His text setting is exquisite, both technically and in the way it propels the drama forward. He is masterful at shaping scenes and the music becomes rhapsodically intense at the climaxes. The operas of Janácek are perhaps the works Miss Julie most resembles, both musically and dramatically, and that is high praise.
This recording, made for a 1977 BBC broadcast, features strong performances from soprano
Jill Gomez, baritone
Benjamin Luxon, mezzo-soprano
Della Jones, and tenor
John Mitchinson, who sing Alwyn's grateful vocal lines with fine diction, rich tone, and dramatic conviction. They are ably accompanied by the
Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Vilem Tausky. The sound is vivid, allowing vocal, and instrumental details to emerge with clarity.