I was zipping around the interwebs wasting time when I stumbled upon The Knot Garden opera by composer Michael Tippett. It premiered on December 2, 1970 at the Royal Opera House in London, England. Why do we care about an opera that most people have never heard of ?
Well you can probably guess….are you guessing ? Well a portion of the action, specifically Act 2, takes place in a hedge/garden maze ! During this act portions of the 7 characters meet each other in the maze (on the stage), while others speak from a separated position since they are in different parts of the maze ! Characters enter and leave the stage as they walk through the maze (called a labyrinth).
The opera in broken into 3 acts:
Act 1: Confrontation
Act 2: Labyrinth
Act 3: Charade
It was controversial at the time of it’s premier because it was believed to have the first 2 openly gay characters in an opera. The plot includes the the 2 main gay characters dressed up as characters from Shakepspare’s The Tempest which they will be performing later in the garden. During the opera we have characters flirting and fighting and reconciling, etc.
Ultimately, The Knot Garden is a powerful meditation on the human condition, exploring the complexities of love, desire, and the search for meaning in a world that can often seem like a maze. It is a testament to the power of opera to move and inspire us, and a reminder of the enduring relevance of Shakespeare's themes and ideas.
You can listen to the complete opera here:
And you may be able to find some memorabilia for sale on ebay !