Sir Michael Tippett, City Of Birmingham Symphony Chorus And Orchestra - A Child Of Our Time
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 13075- LABEL: Naxos 8557570 FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 1 RRP: £4.99
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
An opening caveat: this is a reissue of the 1991 recording that came out on the now defunct Collins Classic label so if you have that one you can stop reading. But if this piece is new to you then I have some good news for you: it is on Naxos and so retails at under five pounds. Tippett is one of the most important British composers of the 20 century and this is one of his most significant works. He was a spiritual man although not, at least so far as I am aware, a believer. This oratorio was written at the start of the Second World War as an expression of "man's inhumanity to man." It is modelled on Handel's 'Messiah' and, famously, incorporates within it five spirituals, in which the suffering of oppressed peoples throughout history - from the Hebrews in Egypt, via African slaves in America and on to the Jews in Nazi Europe - is given a universal resonance. The composer conducted this recording when he was 85. The soloists all excel and this may well be the definitive version. It is certainly the best value.
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