In January 1956 Britten, on a visit to Tokyo, saw a Nō-drama for the first time. In fact, he saw two different performances of the same play – Sumidagawa. The effect on the 42 year-old composer was profound. As he wrote later: “The whole occasion made a tremendous impression upon me. The simple, touching story, the economy of style, the intense slowness of the action, the marvellous skill and control of the performers, the beautiful costumes, the mixture of chanting, speech, singing which, with only three instruments, made up the strange music - it offered a totally new ‘operatic’ experience.” And it was this very play, Sumidagawa, that eight years later formed the essence of Britten’s first of three ‘Church Parables’, Curlew River, written on holiday in Venice in 1964...