The Children's Bach (opera)
The Children's Bach, Op. 74, is a chamber opera by the Australian composer Andrew Schultz to a libretto by Glenn Perry, based on the 1984 novella of the same name by Helen Garner. The work was commissioned by the Melbourne-based group Chamber Made and their artistic director Douglas Horton with the aid of an Australia Council Project Fellowship; it premiered for a run of 15 performances at the Malthouse Theatre's Merlyn Theatre on 20 June 2008.[1]
The opera was performed and recorded at the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, conducted by Roland Peelman.[2] The Lyric Opera of Melbourne and Theatre Works gave the work its second full staging in August/September 2024.[3][4]
Roles
[edit]| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 20 June 2008 Conductor: Brett Kelly |
|---|---|---|
| Dexter | baritone | Andrea Carcassi |
| Athena | mezzo-soprano | Kathryn Grey |
| Billy, their son |
Jackson Cairnduff/ James Christensen | |
| Phillip | tenor | James Egglestone |
| Elizabeth | mezzo-soprano | Dimity Shepherd |
| Vicki, Elisabeth's sister |
soprano | Teresa 'Tess' Duddy |
| Poppy, Phillip's daughter |
Hannah Kostros/ Alexa Madden | |
| Director | Chris Kohn | |
| Lighting design | Richard Vabre | |
| Design | Dale Ferguson | |
| Sound design | Russell Goldsmith | |
The work is of 80 minutes duration and is scored for a cast of six, and six instrumentalists (violin, cello, double bass, clarinet, percussion, piano).
Synopsis
[edit]The Children’s Bach is a contemporary story set on the banks of Merri Creek in inner-suburban Melbourne. Dexter and Athena live in a ramshackle house with no TV and an outside loo. But they are comfortably happy although life with their disabled son, Billy, has taken its toll. Against this family crashes another; Phillip, Elizabeth and Vicki: urbane, musical and stylish. And like most crashes there’s collateral damage.
— from the program notes[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Children’s Bach, Op. 74 (2008), program notes", andrewschultz.net
- ^ "The Children's Bach, recording details (2019), includes libretto
- ^ "The Children’s Bach in Melbourne", 29 July 2024, andrewschultz.net
- ^ "Lyric Opera of Melbourne: The Children’s Bach", Limelight, 7 September 2024
- ^ "What's On". Melbourne: Malthouse Theatre. 2008. Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
External links
[edit]- Usher, Robin (17 July 2008). "A novel approach to modern opera". The Age. Retrieved 21 June 2008.[dead link]
- Burch, Peter (24 June 2008). "Between the lines". Review. The Australian. Retrieved 28 June 2008.[dead link]
