Midsummer Marriage, The, is an opera in three acts by the British composer Sir Michael Tippett to his own libretto (text), see Tippett, Sir Michael . It was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, on Jan. 27, 1955.
The opera takes place on midsummer day in present-day England. Two lovers—Mark and Jenifer—meet on a hilltop on the morning of their wedding. At sunrise, strange people emerge from a nearby temple, led by a priest and priestess called respectively the He-Ancient and the She-Ancient. Mark argues with the people from the temple and then quarrels with Jenifer. The lovers go off in opposite directions. This opening to the opera serves to symbolize the fact that before they can marry, Mark and Jenifer must discover themselves.
Jenifer’s father, King Fisher, a business executive, disapproves of the wedding and comes looking for his daughter. But when she and Mark appear again, they are in a strangely transformed state. During the afternoon, in a section of the opera that Tippett acknowledges as being influenced by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the pair of lovers undergo a series of tests. They are matched by a second pair who are psychologically uncomplicated and much more down-to-earth. These lovers are Bella, King Fisher’s secretary, and her boyfriend Jack, a mechanic. Their declaration of love is followed by a series of ritual dances performed by the temple people.
The final act takes place during the evening and night. Madame Sosostris, a fortune teller, appears before the temple. King Fisher requests that she bring Jenifer back to him. Sosostris disappears behind a curtain and sees a vision of Mark and Jenifer in love with each other. Fisher draws away the curtain and discovers Mark and Jenifer curled up inside a giant flower bud. When he tries to prevent their union, he dies. A ritual fire dance follows, during which Mark and Jenifer are transfigured in a process symbolizing rebirth. They are at last ready for their wedding.
The Midsummer Marriage was Tippett’s first opera, written when he was already approaching 50 years of age. Like all his operas, it is deeply symbolic and has been likened to a contemporary masque. Its first audiences found it obscure but by the end of Tippett’s life, it had been recognized as a classic of English opera. The Ritual Dances were arranged into an orchestral suite in 1953 while Tippett was still working on the rest of the opera. They are often heard at orchestra concerts.
