Michael Tippett (1905 - )
An English composer whose texted music shows a deep interest in social
issues. His compositional style is characterized by a continuing
emphasis on vigorous rhythms and luminous textures, with harmonies that
go beyond the late 19th and early 20th centuries without embracing serialism.
The oratorio, "A Child of Our Time" (1944), based on American Negro spirituals,
is his most popular work in this country. His opera, "The Midsummer
Marriage" (1952), continues to be performed thirty years after its
premiere at Covent Garden.