Joe Hill (opera)

Joe Hill: the Man Who Never Died is an opera with music by British composer Alan Bush based on a 1958 play by Barrie Stavis, The Man Who Never Died. It is based on the life and death of Joe Hill, a trade union activist and song-writer. Composed in 1965–67, it was first performed at the Berlin State Opera in East Berlin on 29 September 1970. It was introduced to the UK by a broadcast of the BBC in 1979.

Joe Hill
the Man Who Never Died
Opera by Alan Bush
Alan Bush in 1952
LibrettistBarrie Stavis
LanguageEnglish
Based onLife of Joe Hill
Premiere
29 September 1970 (1970-09-29)
Berlin State Opera

History

Alan Bush composed his fifth and final opera in 1965–67 on a commission from the Berlin State Opera in East Berlin, where other works by the composer had been performed.[1] Bush's compositions were better received in East Germany than in the West.[2] The opera's libretto is based on a play by the American Barrie Stavis, The Man Who Never Died, which was first performed at the Jan Hus Theater in New York City in 1958.[3] Stavis arranged the libretto himself, after Nancy Bush, Alan's wife and principal librettist, who first working on a libretto, failed to retain the short scenes of the play.[4] It is based on the life of Joe Hill, an immigrant to the U.S. from Sweden, who became a union activist and songwriter. He was controversially convicted of murder and executed in 1915.[3] Four songs by Joe Hill, written as encouragement of industrial workers, became musical material for the composition.[1][4]

The opera was premiered at the Berlin State Opera in East Berlin on 29 September 1970, conducted by Heinz Fricke,[5] directed by Erhard Fischer, in a stage design by Wilfried Werz. Erich Siebenschuh appeared in the title role. Reviewer James Helme Sutcliffe of The New York Times noted that the performance was "visually exciting despite the economy of the approach".[1] Both authors attended the opening night.[1]

The opera was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 1979, and repeated twice,[3][6] once in 1985. The performance was conducted by James Judd, with the BBC Singers (chorus-master: Simon Joly) and the BBC Concert Orchestra.[6]

References
  1. Sutcliffe, James H. (1 October 1970). "East Berlin Operagoers See Joe Hill". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. Christiansen, Rupert (31 October 1995). "Obituary: Alan Bush". The Independent. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  3. O'Higgins, Rachel (2001). "Background to the Opera Joe Hill". Alan Bush Music Trust. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. Bullivant, Joanna (2017). "Communist Lateness". Alan Bush, Modern Music, and the Cold War: The Cultural Left in Britain and the Communist Bloc. Cambridge University Press. pp. 232–245. ISBN 978-1-108-21016-4.
  5. "Joe Hill" (costume design for Joe Hill, premiere details). Stadtmuseum Berlin. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. "Joe Hill" (BBC Radio 3 program listing, first broadcast). BBC Genome Project. 29 July 1979. Retrieved 14 October 2023. / "Joe Hill". 11 April 1981. / "Joe Hill: The Man Who Never Died". 22 December 1985.
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