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Composer Michael Tippett Soprano Prudence Sanders UWA Symphonic Chorus *Supported by The Roberts Emerging Artist Program |
Sir Michael Tippett remains one of the most enigmatic composers of the 20th Century. Known to have developed his style slowly, he withdrew or destroyed much of his early work, for example only beginning to see works published in his 30s. Politically, he was an avowed pacifist (going as far as to be imprisoned in 1943 for refusing to carry out war related duties) and therefore wrote powerfully on subjects such as freedom from persecution and the rights of people to live respectful lives according to their race, religion, sexuality, and cultural background. Tying this into a lifelong connection to Jungian psychology, he explored the notion of “light and dark” within all people, advocating for peace and understanding through the human condition. A Child of Our Time comes with inspiration therefore around the events leading up to the beginning of WWII, the rise of fascism and the outbreak of formal hostilities, leading him to begin the composing of this very large scale “hymn for peace” in September 1939. The work is in three parts, copying the structure of Handel’s Messiah and uses a lyrical 20th Century language which owes much to the history of choral music from the 16th and 17th Centuries as it does to his contemporaries in Britten, Bartok, Stravinsky and others. A novel innovation is the incorporation of African American Spirituals in place of the traditional chorales. Requiring a large mixed chorus, romantic sized orchestra, and four soloists it has earned a place as one of the most dramatic and powerfully moving story oratorios in the repertoire. This concert also continues West Australian Opera's exploration of oratorios as operas in disguise, first begun by our performances of Elijah in 2021, as well as the collaboration with the UWA Conservatorium of Music, seeing in them the players and singers of the future. |