Lyric Opera of Melbourne and Theatre Works bring opera to the modern audience with The Children’s Bach. The 1984 Australian novella of the same name, written by Helen Garner, was first transformed into an opera in 2008, and is now seeing its second full production, with libretto by Glen Perry.
We ease into the scene with gentle, somewhat eerie, music, provided by the six-piece chamber orchestra to the side of the stage, conducted by Patrick Burns. We meet our characters; the free-spirited Elizabeth (Juel Riggall) and her younger sister Vicky (Lucy Schneider), Elizabeth’s boyfriend Philip (Adrian Li Donni) and his daughter Poppy (Chloe Taylor). We join their story as they cross paths with the Fox family consisting of husband-and-wife Dexter and Athena (Michael Honeyman and Kate Amos) and their son Billy (alternating, Ben Touzel and Chris Touzel).
Athena grapples with her current life: she struggles to understand her autistic son Billy, she has lost the ability to connect with him, her marriage feels lacking, and she diminishes her interest in the piano around others. Athena sees a new point of view on life, sexuality and family structure after Phillip and Elizabeth enter their lives. Each of the adults follow a journey of change, carrying different levels of significance to each of them, and take the audience along for the ride.
I had not read the original source material going into this production, and while I’m sure more depth is explored in the novella, reading it is not necessary to follow the story on stage. This production communicates the plot well. For those first-time opera viewers who may be apprehensive about understanding, fear not, it is sung entirely in English with captions on-screen also provided to aid with lyrical comprehension. I will note however, audiences should pay attention to the content warnings, as some may find the way Athena talks to and about her autistic child as confronting, and demeaning.
A repeating theme of the production is, “So this is modern life then?”. Our story takes place in the Australian 1990s, and none of our characters are introduced as infallible, but distinctly human, with the ability to make choices both right and wrong. In a 2024 Australia, the common view of what a “modern life” is “typical” family structure and attitudes towards autism have changed significantly for a lot of the population. Keeping this time frame and context in mind while viewing is important.
Poppy, Philip’s daughter, is used as a go-between for the audience, the characters, and the music. She steps in and out of the scenes, talking directly to the audience and acknowledging the orchestra. She explains the musical fugue, from the Latin words of “flight” and “flee”. Intentionally dispersing further musical explanations between scenes, we learn that a fugue is “a contrapuntal composition in which a subject is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.” You can immediately relate the interweaving and moving parts of the music to the characters’ stories.
The orchestra provides a unique musical backdrop for the seven singers, and those more in tune with musical theory would be able to pick up on the extra thought behind the structure of the score. Music plays an important role in the original novella, as evidenced by its title, with the score in the production nodding to these references.
The impressive set really makes you feel like you’ve been given a glimpse directly into these characters’ lives. The two-storey structure with various rooms and locations feels almost like a dollhouse, the audience peering into the personal moments of the story. The dining room falsely warm and welcoming, as we see the disruptions and disagreements that play out there.
A talented cast and orchestra, conveying the interwoven stories in the 85 minute timeframe. The Children’s Bach is a fresh-feeling, modern opera, and those who have never been in the opera world should not dismiss it. The effect of the production can be perfectly summed up in the comment I heard from another attendee as they were leaving: “I think like opera now?”.
The Children’s Bach is currently on at Theatre Works in Melbourne until September 7.
Content warnings: Confronting language around autism, strong language, strong sexual references, drug references.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2024/the-children’s-bach
https://www.lyricopera.com.au
Photography by Jodie Hutchinson.
