''Batavia'' is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in three acts and a prologue by Richard Mills to a libretto by Peter Goldsworthy, commissioned by

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with t ...

. The plot is based on the historical events surrounding the Dutch sailing vessel ''Batavia'''s 1629 sinking and massacre of the shipwreck survivors. The opera premiered on 11 May 2001 at the State Theatre (Melbourne) for the Centenary of Federation Festival. It received three

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

and six

Green Room Awards The Green Room Awards are Australian peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, theatre companies, independent theatre, musical theatre, contemporary and experimental performance, and opera. The awards, which were established in ...

. The work lasts for about three hours and ten minutes with one interval. The CD recording was captured at the State Theatre,

Victorian Arts Centre Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

, Melbourne, on 11 and 13 May 2001.

References

External links

"''Batavia'' : opera by Richard Mills (2001)"
work details,

Australian Music Centre The Australian Music Centre (AMC), founded as Australia Music Centre in 1974 and known as Sounds Australian in the 1990s, is a national organisation promoting and supporting art music in Australia. It operates mainly as a service organisation, a ...

*
"''Batavia'' by Richard Mills"
review of Melbourne premiere performance by Chris Boyd, 19 May 2001, ''

Australian Financial Review The ''Australian Financial Review'' (''AFR'') is an Australian compact daily newspaper with a focus on business, politics and economic affairs. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New South Wales, and has been published continuously since its foun ...

''
"Could This Be the Great Australian Opera?"
review of the Perth performance by Sandra Bowdler, (February 2004)].
"Looking forward to Dvorak"
interview by Vanessa Taylor with Bruce Martin on creating the role of Francisco Pelsaert (March 2006, ''Opera~Opera'') {{Authority control Operas English-language operas 2001 operas Batavia (1628 ship) Operas by Richard Mills Operas set in Australia Operas set in the 17th century Works about the Dutch East India Company

References

Further reading

External links