The large-scale works of Sir Michael Tippett seem to have rather fallen off the radar in the years since his death in 1998, as often happens. Two of his operas, King Priam and The Ice Break, still await Scottish premieres, and none of the five has ever been seen at the Festival. We must therefore be grateful that we are offered this well-cast performance of his great wartime oratorio.
It is fifteen years since it was last heard at the Festival, and here forms the nucleus of the RSNO's sole contribution this year. The evening begins with an even rarer work in the form of Tippett's Concerto for Orchestra, premiered at the 1963 Festival, so now up for its 60th anniversary. Sir Andrew Davis has a long record of championing Tippett's work with other British orchestras and now seems to have settled in as a very welcome annual collaborator with the RSNO and the Festival.
As with last time, the quartet of soloists makes a fascinating blend, the only regular Festival performer being Dame Sarah Connolly. Interest is bound to focus on the young South African soprano whose beautiful lyric tones came to notice at the Cardiff competition (like her predecessor of fifteen years ago, Nicole Cabell). She had a success earlier in 2023 as Liù in a revival of Turandot at Covent Garden under Sir Antonio Pappano, in which Russell Thomas appeared as Caláf. The young Glaswegian bass recently made an excellent debut with Scottish Opera as Don Alfonso.
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