“High fashion meets Dr Seuss in promising new Australian opera.”
— Bridget Davies, The Age on The Selfish Giant
Stephen Marsh (The Giant) and youth chorus. Photo: Charlie Kinross for Victorian Opera.
The Selfish Giant is a story about how we communicate and share our world with the people around us. It's a story that is timeless and universal, something that the very young to the very old can relate to and enjoy. This show was written specifically to be performed by a cast under the age of 25 but would be adaptable to almost any age group. The chorus parts are simple enough to be achievable by school aged students but difficult enough to provide a challenge. It is arranged for SATB chorus but could be adapted for treble voices if appropriate to the production. The principal roles are designed for young adult singers.
The music for the Selfish Giant goes through a huge range of styles, from cabaret to folk song, peaceful stillness to driving aggressive rhythms. The very opening of the show was the first musical idea that I wrote, and a lot of the piece is developed from that motif. Most of the characters however inhabit quite different musical worlds. You might hear the influence of Strauss in the Spring fairy’s song, and Kurt Weill and Cole Porter in the slapstick buffoonery of Snow, Wind and Frost. The eclectic nature of the music strives to convey the story’s humour, innocence and depth. - Simon Bruckard
Orchestral Score Excerpt - PDF [Opens in new window]
Giant’s Aria Excerpt - PDF [Opens in new window]