Michael Tippett, The Shadow and The Light
2023 BBC Two
Twenty-five years after his death, the music of Michael Tippett has been undergoing a revival after some time in the doldrums. This feature-length performance documentary explores the life and work of one of Britain's most original composers. He embraced music of the past, while at the same time striking out in novel and unusual directions – whether in his orchestration, the wording of his librettos or the contemporary themes and challenges he chose to tackle. He created a distinctive sound – through his sprung, syncopated rhythms or the ecstatic, life-enhancing nature of his melodies and harmonies.
In his latest composer portrait, John Bridcut talks to conductors, singers and instrumentalists about the delights and difficulties of working with Tippett and his music.
FILM CREDITS
| Directors of Photography | Richard Cook, Jonathan Partridge |
| Additional Photography | Vaughan Matthews, Stanley Leech |
| Jib Operator | Kenneth Moulson |
| Gaffer | Niall Smyth |
| Score Reader | Peter Jones |
| Sound Engineers | Floating Earth, Patrick Boland, Stephen Anderson |
| Finishing Editor | Paul Ingvarsson |
| Dubbing Mixers | Mike Hatch, David Ingram |
| Production Manager | Rowan Moss, Amy Gosling |
| Research | Jack Harberd |
| Archive Researcher | Alex Cowan |
| Associate Producer | Oliver Soden |
| Music Producer | Andrew Trinick |
| BBC Commissioning Editors | Jan Younghusband, Mark Bell |
| Film Editor | Riaz Meer |
| Written, produced and directed by | John Bridcut |
Thanks to: Glasgow Live, British Library, Schott & Co Ltd, Yvonne Horsfall Turner
Archive Sources: BBC, Screenocean, ITV Archive, Yorkshire Film Archive, Alamy, Getty Images, Britten Pears Arts, Cooperative Heritage Trust CIO, Richard Hubert Smith
Performers specially filmed for this production:
Nadine Benjamin (soprano), Katie Bray (mezzo-soprano), Filipe Manu (tenor), Ashley Riches (bass-baritone)
Steven Osborne (pianoforte)
Robert Murray (tenor), Sean Shibe (guitar)
Ben Vonberg-Clark (tenor), Edward Picton-Turbervill (pianoforte)
REVIEWS
'John Bridcut's excellent BBC2 documentary about Tippett is fascinating and tantalising - so much more that could have been said about his complex mind, so much music discussed that I didn't previously know.'
'A hypnotising, tender story told with love.... so textured, so light on its feet.'
'In this rich and lovingly-produced documentary, film-maker John Bridcut paints a portrait of an under-appreciated genius; a composer whose music was as life-affirming as it was innovative, and whose personal life was affected by tragedy.'
'Underpinned by snippets of Tippett's magnificent canon, this elegiac but frank film merges the professional (pulling no punches when it comes to his limited conducting skills) with the personal, where darkness lay.'
'What Bridcut's film does so beautifully is to reveal glimpses of the man away from the music.'