[Janet Leeper, writer on ballet.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Janet') to the theatre director E. Martin Browne, giving a detailed analysis of productions at Aldeburgh and Southwark of Benjamin Britten's opera 'Noye's Fludde'.

Author: 
Janet Leeper, writer on ballet [E. Martin Browne (1900-1980), English theatre director; Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), English composer; the Aldeburgh Festival]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of 30 Bramham Gardens, [London] S.W.5. 15 January 1959.
£220.00
SKU: 14472

4pp., 8vo. 102 lines of neatly and closely written text. With original envelope addressed by Leeper to 'E. Martin Browne Esq | 99 Claremont Avenue | New York 27 | U.S.A.' Leeper begins by expressing her pleasure that Browne is 'going to do the first American performance of Noye's Fludde', which she describes as 'a great work - big & simple & satisfying, & very moving'. She analyses the reasons why the listener is moved, before continuing: 'The success at Aldeburgh was repeated at Southwark (same cast & players) & the effect of the Procession was even greater, because of the large & magnificent building.' She is sending him the Southwark programme. 'Britten did not conduct at Aldeburgh but was in the audience, & very amused he was by some of the by-play of the children-animals in the ark!' She discusses every aspect of the production, with reference to the producer Colin Graham, designer Ceri Richards ('The rainbow was wrong on purpose (colours) because "they mostly are wrong", he said, "in illuminated manuscripts".'), photographer Kurt Hutton, the publishers of the score Boosey & Hawkes, Stephen Reiss, Ralph Downes, the music ('The recorder players for instance all came from one school').