BENJAMIN BRITTEN: THE HIDDEN HEART - A LOVE STORY IN THREE PARTS

I've just watched, remarkably for the first time, Teresa Griffith's remarkable 2001 documentary Benjamin Britten:  The Hidden Heart - A Love Story In Three Parts.  I'm fairly wrecked by this beautiful film which is, as the title implies. told in three acts:  I - Peter Grimes; II - War Requiem; and III - Death in Venice.  

Each act concentrates on the creative process, public and critical opinion, and the lifelong love between the composer and Peter Pears. As much as I've read and known - or thought I knew - this pair, insight from beloved friends, family, artistic contemporaries and others bring more into focus the dynamics of their relationship, the dependence upon one another. Most surprising for me was that I'd always viewed Britten as the stronger one being the "creator" of so many works, but it appears now it was Peter who was (as he is referred to several times) "the rock." 

For lovers of Britten's work, the detail behind the creation of these three fairly career defining roles is nothing short of glorious.  Indeed, I felt giddy as Grimes was getting ready to go on to reopen the Sadler Wells, after the war, when the general consensus was the theatre should reopen with something more Aida-like. This was particularly true as it was Britten's first opera, and one fairly had to go back to Purcell's Dido, to name an important British opera.

War Requiem features letters and interviews with Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich after Britten had written the part specifically for her, but the Soviets forbade her to take part. It was especially revealing as Vishnevskaya was scheduled for a run of Aida at Covent Garden and then go straight to Coventry for rehearsals and the world premiere. The Soviets called her back saying that they would not permit a Soviet woman to stand beside a German in an antiwar statement.  The interviews with Heather Harper who auditioned and replaced Galina is very touching.

Death in Venice deals with Britten coming to terms with his own mortality, his frailness and identifying as Aschenbach in nearly every way. It got a little uncomfortable in its honesty, but also pulls no punches as to the complexities of our human selves.  I'd never thought of it before, but there is some extra fascination in that in writing the role for Peter, he was having his lover portray him in his final opera.  Fascinating.

The archival footage of rehearsals, performances, the seaside and just living all add depth to this wonderful love story, but it is the final two letters - Ben to Peter as he was too ill to travel to New York for Peter's Met debut in Death in Venice, and Peter's response to Ben that absolutely destroyed me.  

This is simply top drawer filmmaking about one of the 20th century's greatest composers and I can't recommend it highly enough.