Recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in November 2022, this powerful and vivid account of Michael Tippett’s great oratorio leaves in no doubt as to its continued relevance to the World we live in, in Our Time. Aided by a recording that is immediate and uncompromising as to detail and impact – and the soloists’ words – if perhaps less kind to quiet singing and playing, Edward Gardner leads a performance that swaps the concert platform for the operatic stage, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir magnificent in response (the latter totally ‘at home’ in the Spirituals, Tippett’s genius counterpart to the chorales of Bach’s Passions, the final one of the five overwhelming here) – both groups as searing as they are sensitive – the four soloists investing much characterisation into their contributions, a story unfolded and ‘acted’ to involve the listener emotionally as well as with the finer points of musicianship. LPO-0136 continues Gardner’s triumphs with Tippett.
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir – Edward Gardner conducts Tippett’s A Child of Our Time for the LPO’s own label.
Further information: https://lpo.org.uk/recording/a-child-of-our-time/
It has been quite clear for some time that in Edward Gardner the music of Michael Tippett has found a profound interpreter to succeed Colin Davis and John Pritchard especially. We must hope that the LPO plans to perform the remainder of Tippett’s orchestral and choral output – The Mask of Time will undoubtedly be the climax of such a project = far and away the most significant contribution to British choral repertoire since Britten’s War Requiem – though when the pubic at large will be permitted to experience this masterwork in the current ‘cultural climate’ (which equates Sam Smith with Thomas Tallis) is anybody’s guess.
indeed sir this is a towering masterpiece, I was at all the (few) London performances….I remember the first night of the Proms especially….next to us were a very posh Euro couple who, I guessed, obtained tickets from their concierge…designer handbag etc the look on their faces! They left after 20 minutes…. we have the recording but it would be great if the LPO risked it…..perhaps after his New Year Mr Brabbins will do it with BBCSSO?