West Australian Opera stages Tippett's 'A Child of Our Time' at UWA
On May 28, Winthrop Hall will host a performance of Michael Tippett's oratorio 'A Child of Our Time,' presented by the West Australian Opera in collaboration with the University of Western Australia. Composed between 1939 and 1941, the piece reflects on events surrounding the 1938 assassination of a German diplomat, which led to Kristallnacht. Conducted by Chris van Tuinen, the performance will feature a choir of 70 voices from the UWA Conservatorium of Music, alongside an orchestra of students and professional soloists. Van Tuinen emphasizes the work's exploration of violence, psychological complexities, and Tippett's pacifist ideals.
Key facts
- West Australian Opera and UWA present 'A Child of Our Time'
- Performance at Winthrop Hall, University of Western Australia, Perth
- Date: 28 May
- Conducted by Chris van Tuinen, WA Opera Artistic Director
- 70-voice student choir from UWA Conservatorium of Music
- Orchestra of conservatory instrumentalists
- Professional soloists from WA Opera
- Work composed 1939-1941, inspired by 1938 assassination and Kristallnacht
- Tippett was a pacifist, conscientious objector, and former Communist Party member
- Libretto uses Jungian archetypes, no named characters or nationalities
- Includes African American spirituals as structural parallels to Lutheran hymns
- Premiered in 1944 by London Philharmonic and Morley College Choir
Entities
Artists
- Michael Tippett
- Chris van Tuinen
- Benjamin Britten
Institutions
- West Australian Opera
- University of Western Australia
- UWA Conservatorium of Music
- Morley College
- London Philharmonic
- Sadler's Wells
- ArtsHub
Locations
- Perth
- Australia
- Winthrop Hall
- University of Western Australia
- Paris
- Germany
- London