Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a chamber opera in two acts by Richard Mills to a libretto by Peter Goldsworthy, based on the play of the same name by Ray Lawler. The opera was commissioned by the Victoria State Opera and premiered on 19 October 1996 at the Playhouse in Melbourne. It lasts about two hours. It was live simulcast on ABC Classic FM on Australia Day (26 January) 1997
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 19 October 1996 Conductor: Richard Mills |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl | mezzo-soprano | Elizabeth Campbell |
| Olive | soprano | Gillian Sullivan |
| Bubba | soprano | Natalie Jones |
| Emma | soprano | Eilene Hannan |
| Barney | tenor | Barry Ryan |
| Roo | bass-baritone | Gary Rowley |
| Johnnie Dowd | bass baritone | Nicholas Todorovic |
| State Orchestra of Victoria | ||
| Director | Richard Wherrett | |
| Design | Brian Thompson | |
| Lighting | Nigel Levings | |
| Costumes | Julie Lynch | |
Mills also used this musical material for his Symphonic Picture from Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.
For plot details, see the article on the play Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.
Famous quotes containing the words summer, seventeenth and/or doll:
“Climate of Egypt in winter is the reign of spring upon earth, & summer in the air, and tranquility in the heat.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Nothing in medieval dress distinguished the child from the adult. In the seventeenth century, however, the child, or at least the child of quality, whether noble or middle-class, ceased to be dressed like the grown-up. This is the essential point: henceforth he had an outfit reserved for his age group, which set him apart from the adults. These can be seen from the first glance at any of the numerous child portraits painted at the beginning of the seventeenth century.”
—Philippe Ariés (20th century)
“A doll in the doll-maker’s house
Looks at the cradle and bawls:
“That is an insult to us.””
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)