Search - Michael Tippett, John Pritchard, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra :: Tippett: The Midsummer Marriage

Long patronized by the music establishment as an amateur because of his late start in music study, Michael Tippett (1905-1998) was to become in later years one of the most influential and respected British composers with several major operas to his credit, of which The Midsummer Marriage is still the best known. The opera was first performed at Covent Garden, London, on January 27, 1955, to mostly hostile reviews due to the libretto. Since then it has slowly acquired ever more positive notices. This recording of the 1955 broadcast of the world premiere starring Joan Sutherland is one of the most legendary documents in the history of modern opera. Later revisions resulted in differences that are heard in later recordings.