The Young Kabbarli
Encyclopedia
The Young Kabbarli is a one-act chamber opera
written in 1964 by the Australia
n 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
.
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'.
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.
The Young Kabbarli was premiered in August 1965 at the Festival of Contemporary Opera and Music, at the Theatre Royal in Hobart
, 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.
It received performances by the State Opera of South Australia
in Adelaide
and in Melbourne
in 1972.
The Young Kabbarli was recorded in 1973 at Flinders University
, Adelaide. It was the first Australian opera recorded in Australia, and it was the first quadraphonic disc made in Australia. The singers were Genty Stevens, mezzo-soprano, Daisy Bates/Kabbarli; Dean Patterson, baritone, Goondowell; Carol Kohler, soprano, Goondowell's wife Yoolbian; John McKenzie, bass-baritone, Trappist Brother; David Gulpilil
(as David Gumpilil), Aboriginal singer; New Opera of South Australia, conducted by Patrick Thomas
.
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
written in 1964 by the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n composer Margaret Sutherland
Margaret Sutherland
Margaret Sutherland was an Australian composer, probably the best-known female composer her country has produced....
; it is her only work in the operatic genre. The libretto was by Maie Casey, based on poetry by Judith Wright
Judith Wright
Judith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.-Biography:...
and Shaw Neilson
Shaw Neilson
John Shaw Neilson , was an Australian poet. Slightlybuilt, for most of his life, John Shaw Neilson worked as a labourer, fruit-picking, clearing scrub, navvying and working in quarries, and, after 1928, working as a messenger with the Country Roads Board in Melbourne...
.
The plot is based on an episode in the life of the Irish-Australian welfare worker and anthropologist Daisy Bates
Daisy Bates (Australia)
Daisy May Bates, CBE was an Irish Australian journalist, welfare worker and lifelong student of Australian Aboriginal culture and society. She was known among the native people as 'Kabbarli' .-Early life:...
. Bates was given the affectionate name 'Kabbarli', meaning 'grandmotherly person'.
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.
The Young Kabbarli was premiered in August 1965 at the Festival of Contemporary Opera and Music, at the Theatre Royal in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, as a companion piece to Larry Sitsky
Larry Sitsky
Lazar Sitsky AM, usually referred to as Larry Sitsky, born 10 September 1934, is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar...
's The Fall of the House of Usher. Sitsky's piece was well-received, Sutherland's less so.
It received performances by the State Opera of South Australia
State Opera of South Australia
State Opera of South Australia is a professional opera company in Adelaide, South Australia, established in 1976. Each year, the State Opera presents at least three major operatic productions at the Adelaide Festival Theatre as well as producing or supporting other smaller productions in The Opera...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1972.
The Young Kabbarli was recorded in 1973 at Flinders University
Flinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
, Adelaide. It was the first Australian opera recorded in Australia, and it was the first quadraphonic disc made in Australia. The singers were Genty Stevens, mezzo-soprano, Daisy Bates/Kabbarli; Dean Patterson, baritone, Goondowell; Carol Kohler, soprano, Goondowell's wife Yoolbian; John McKenzie, bass-baritone, Trappist Brother; David Gulpilil
David Gulpilil
David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu , is an Indigenous Australian traditional dancer and actor. His first starring role was Walkabout....
(as David Gumpilil), Aboriginal singer; New Opera of South Australia, conducted by Patrick Thomas
Patrick Thomas (conductor)
Patrick Thomas MBE is an Australian conductor.For a period of almost 35 years he conducted hundreds of performances across Australia in just about every centre where the various state symphony orchestras ventured, and introduced music to virtually a whole generation of young Australians through...
.