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.
The opera was performed and recorded at the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, conducted by Roland Peelman. The Lyric Opera of Melbourne and Theatre Works gave the work its second full staging in August/September 2024.
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
References
- "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
- 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". Review. The Australian. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
