Michael Tippett (1905-1998) (latterly Sir Michael Tippett) was a composer full of sophisticated contradictions. Capable of the most radiantly melodious music on the one hand, yet thornily difficult on the other. He was an avowed communist in his early years, and yet accepted multiple honors from British royalty in his later years. His intellectual and idealistic approach to composition was eccentrically British, and yet he was never really seen as a member of the core groups of great British composers of the 20th century, not following in the pastoral tradition for instance, always following his own intense intellectual focuses. In the end, a great British composer he was, as shown in this piece, his first acknowledged masterpiece.

A Child of Our Time itself exercises its power through many contradictions. It was inspired by a key topical event, namely the Kristallnacht Nazi-initiated riots in 1938 Germany following the murder of a German diplomat by a Polish jew in 1938, and presaging the upcoming terrible conflicts of WWII. Yet the themes explored are often presented deliberately as universal and mythic in time and scope. It is composed in what has sometimes seemed by the 1930's as a stuffy 'high art' format, that of the oratorio, using Jungian-infused dialogue by the composer himself, and yet has many of its key moments us the everyman format of the spiritual, an original and creative effect unheard of in such a composition at that time. Taking the role of the chorales in Bach's major choral works, they echo one oppressed people to another and (in Tippett's own words) "contain a deposit of generations of common experience".

The oratorio is conducted here most fittingly by Sir Andrew Davis, a lifelong close friend of the composer, and a great performer of British music (although he had in fact a very broad repertoire and served in many orchestras around the world). Sadly, Davis passed away in April of this year, so this recording acts in a way as an epilogue for him, as well as a reminder of the composer's unique impact.

From its impactful orchestral opening, played and recorded with great assurance in this recording, to its sublimely beautiful spiritual 'Deep River' conclusion, Davis's approach is vibrant and the playing excellent.

The opening orchestral cry is attention grabbing, almost like in a movie in its immediacy, and we are thrust into the dark days of the late 1930's immediately. It is played with stark feeling, and the choir gently joins in to underline the grim times.

The choir has a major role in this piece, and they play many roles, both sympathetic and otherwise. I was impressed with their performance, from the gently, and painfully descending polyphony of the Choir of the Oppressed in Part One, to the hate voiced in Part Two:

"Away with them! Curse them! Kill them! They infect the state."

An additional tour de force for the choir is their performance of the opening of Part Three 'The cold deepens'.

Throughout the piece, tempos are sometimes steady, such as in the opening section, allowing the rich polyphonic textures to be clearly audible. The cumulative effect is one of concentrated illumination, through the dramatized search for inner understanding, each individual acknowledging their own 'internal light and shadow'. Despite its political spark Tippett was ultimately more interested in the psychological than the political, the Jungian themes in the dialogue focusing on that internal dialogue. As in some of his other works, this dialogue can be awkwardly expressed, and requires the listener to show a certain 'suspension of disbelief' at times and the quartet of soloists and the choir to be fully committed with the thrust of the dialogue, to communicate effectively. This quartet, and particularly the choir make that commitment, and are well captured by the recording.

Tippett often will juxtapose the universal and timeless and the individual and gritty every day, at one moment singing:

"Man has measured the heavens with a telescope, driven the gods from their thrones."

And in the same section the tenor 'hero' saying:

"I have no money for my bread."

This juxtaposition can sometimes feel jarring, and every now and then the words border on the portentous, but this is where the magic of the spirituals comes in, profoundly simple and yet authentic, merging the two sides into an emotional whole. This is why the quality of their performance is critical. In this release they are very well done, from the gentle balm of 'Steal away', through the fear in 'Nobody knows the trouble I see' to the hope in the face of darkness in the final 'Deep river, my home is over Jordan'. They are sung without sentimentalizing as the composer admonished future performers to respect, but also displaying the excellent recording which allows brass, and choir and soloists to be clearly heard, none overwhelming the other.

Being an oratorio, the quartet of soloists is also key, and here the impact is a little more variable, though never less than good overall. I was impressed by the tenor Joshua Stewart, here taking the role of the young Polish Jew whose actions, in reaction to the persecution of his community, bring forth the terrible pogroms referred to in Part Two. His account in Part Two of 'My dreams are all shattered' sung from a prison cell is especially moving.

The soprano, South African Pumeza Matchikiza, as the Mother, is particularly good at the end of Part One as she sings 'How can I cherish my man in such days' leading without a break to the first spiritual with its temporary release of pain.

This is not forgetting the orchestra, who have likely played this piece several times over the years, and they rise to the challenge. In addition to the great climaxes, one example I liked a lot was the Praeludium in Part Three, with its delicate interplay of woodwind instruments winding around each other (a very characteristic Tippett moment).

Overall, this release is a wonderful reminder of both the generous spirit of the conductor, and the humanity and unique appeal of this composer. The orchestra, soloist and choir all show great sensitivity and strong emotion when needed, and the clear recording makes the separate parts clear. The recording has each small section separately tracked, useful if you are wanting to get to a very specific section (not all the other available recordings have this option). Recommended.