For The Vision of Judgement, Fricker adapted and rearranged parts of the epic poem 'Christ' by the 8th-century Anglo-Saxon poet Cynewulf, and also included words from the Latin Requiem.
Composition History
The oratorio The Vision of Judgement was commissioned by the Leeds Triennial Festival in 1958 to mark its centenary.
Historical Context
Fricker's name was invoked in Kingsley Amis's 1954 novel, Lucky Jim, indicating his status at the cutting edge of British culture in the post-war era.
Instruments
Fricker's Symphony No. 5, for organ and orchestra, was commissioned by the BBC for the Royal Festival Hall's 25th anniversary and features a significant part for the organ, an instrument he loved.
Composer Biography
Peter Racine Fricker, the composer, was a direct descendant of the French dramatist Jean Racine.
Critical Reception
The Vision of Judgement was hailed as Fricker's masterpiece by Gerald Larner in 1958 and praised for its 'new orchestral panache' by Peter Evans in 1960.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Fricker was among the first British composers to be influenced by Béla Bartók, Arnold Schoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky, assimilating their styles into his own distinctive voice.
