A Child Of His Time ?

A budget reissue, this is the only disk I have ( so far ? ) of music by Michael Tippett. Three pieces are featured, the Concerto For Double String Orchestra, the Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli and Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage. The performers are the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Andrew Davis with violin soloists Michael Davis and Jacqueline Hartley and cell soloist Paul Watkins in the Corelli work. The Concerto for Double String Orchestra is a fine piece, the use of bluesy harmonic inflections no doubt being one reason why it appeals to me. There are also folk and jazz influences as well as nods towards Beethoven and Bartok. The Corelli Fantasia does what the title would imply, viewing the baroque through a distorted 20th century mirror but retaining he integrity of the original works. The Midsummer Marriage is an opera and Tippett was commissioned to produce a suite by Swiss conductor, mover and shaker Paul Sacher. Ritual Dances moves through hunting scenes and chases from the animal kingdom to altogether more carnal human relations in the finale, with the latter sections featuring wordless singing from the chorus. The BBCSO can be an awkward orchestra but Andrew Davis had a happier rapport with them than many and their playing on this selection can't be faulted. A listener friendly introduction to Tippett.