The Children's Bach (opera)
The Children's Bach 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 at the Malthouse theatre's Merlyn Theatre on 20 June 2008.
Roles
| 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
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[1]
References
- "What's On". Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne. 2008. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
External links
- Usher, Robin (17 July 2008). "A novel approach to modern opera". The Age. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
- Burch, Peter (24 June 2008). "Between the lines". The Australian. Retrieved 28 June 2008. (Review)