The Young Kabbarli is a one-act chamber opera written in 1964 by the Australian composer Margaret Sutherland; it is her only work in the operatic genre. The libretto was by Maie Casey, based on poetry by Judith Wright and Shaw Neilson.[1]
| The Young Kabbarli | |
|---|---|
| Chamber opera by Margaret Sutherland | |
| Librettist | Maie Casey |
| Language | English |
| Premiere | August 1965 Theatre Royal in Hobart |
The plot is based on an episode in the life of the Irish-Australian welfare worker and anthropologist Daisy Bates. Bates was given the affectionate name 'Kabbarli', meaning 'grandmotherly person'.[2]
The Young Kabbarli has four singing roles (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass) and three non-singing roles.
It is scored for 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn, percussion (castanets, wood block, sticks, flints, wooden shaker), piano, viola, and double bass.[3]
The Young Kabbarli was premiered in August 1965 at the Festival of Contemporary Opera and Music, at the Theatre Royal in Hobart,[4] as a companion piece to Larry Sitsky's The Fall of the House of Usher. Sitsky's piece was well-received, Sutherland's less so.[5][6]
It received performances by the State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide and in Melbourne in 1972.[4]
The Young Kabbarli was recorded in 1973 at Flinders University, Adelaide. It was the first Australian opera recorded in Australia,[1] and it was the first quadraphonic disc made in Australia.[7] The singers were Genty Stevens, mezzo-soprano, Daisy Bates/Kabbarli; Dean Patterson, baritone, Goondowell; Carol Kohler, soprano, Goondowell's wife Yoolbian;[8] John McKenzie, bass-baritone, Trappist Brother; David Gulpilil (as David Gumpilil), Aboriginal singer; New Opera of South Australia, conducted by Patrick Thomas.[9][10][11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Sutherland, Margaret Ada - Woman - The Australian Women's Register". womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "Bates, Daisy May - Woman - The Australian Women's Register". womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "Score: The young Kabbarli : a chamber opera in one act / libretto, Maie Casey; [music] Margaret Sutherland. [1964] : Product : Australian Music Centre". australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Margaret Sutherland : Represented Artist Profile : Australian Music Centre". australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "Margaret Sutherland". australiancomposers.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ Harwood, Gwen (2001). A Steady Storm of Correspondence. ISBN 9780702232572. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ jstor
- ^ "ABC Classic FM Music Details: Monday 6 December 1999". abc.net.au. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ Australian Music Centre[dead link]
- ^ "Australian music in Trove". musicaustralia.org. Retrieved 30 January 2015.[dead link]
- ^ "ABC Classic FM Music Details: Sunday 16 November 1997". abc.net.au. Retrieved 30 January 2015.[dead link]