Joseph Phibbs: Juliana

Featuring

Zoe Drummond
Rebecca Afonwy-Jones
Felix Kemp
George Vass
Nova Music Opera Ensemble
Joseph Phibbs

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Recording & Production

This recording of Juliana was made at St John the Evangelist (SJE Arts), Oxford, on March 15-16, 2021, and was recorded at 24-bit/96kHz resolution.

Composition History

Juliana, a chamber opera by Joseph Phibbs and Laurie Slade, was jointly commissioned by Nova Music Opera, the Cheltenham Festival, and the Presteigne Festival.

Compositional Technique

Juliana's score assigns specific instruments to 'shadow' the three main roles: vibraphone and flute/piccolo for Juliana, clarinet and percussion for Juan, and strings for Kerstin.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Juliana updates August Strindberg's Miss Julie to a contemporary setting, replacing the power of aristocracy with plutocracy, where Miss Julie becomes Juliana, and Jean becomes Juan, an immigrant servant.

Compositional Technique

The opera Juliana is through-composed, meaning it flows continuously without breaks, and runs without an interval, divided into thirteen scenes.

Performer Biography

George Vass, the conductor, is also the founder and Artistic Director of Nova Music Opera, the commissioning body for this work, and the internationally renowned Presteigne Festival in Wales.