The Ice Break
Poster
1977 (printed)
1977 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This poster for the premiére of Tippet's The Ice Break reveals very little about the production, other than giving an enigmatic, foreboding sense of gloom.
Tippett described the theme of this opera by asking 'whether or not we can be reborn from the stereotypes we live in?'. The characters within the opera follow certain paths that they are expected to follow by society, which result in violence and race riots. Surrealistic and psychedelic episodes occur, in an attempt to address the question of humanity's survival in the universe without intervention from the astral plane. Tippett tackles a very large theme through this production, without offering an easy solution.
Tippett described the theme of this opera by asking 'whether or not we can be reborn from the stereotypes we live in?'. The characters within the opera follow certain paths that they are expected to follow by society, which result in violence and race riots. Surrealistic and psychedelic episodes occur, in an attempt to address the question of humanity's survival in the universe without intervention from the astral plane. Tippett tackles a very large theme through this production, without offering an easy solution.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Ice Break (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Offset photolithograph |
| Brief description | Poster advertising the premiere of Michael Tippett's opera, The Ice Break, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. |
| Physical description | Advertising poster for the World premiere of The Ice Break at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Predominantly black poster, with a red and black monochrome photograph of a face in a mask with goggles with red mist behind. The venue is written in red typography at the top of the poster and the title and details of performances are printed in white at the bottom. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Photographic posters
This striking image advertising The Icebreak reveals little about the content of Tippett’s opera, other than that it is the world premiere.
In contrast, the Cats poster – one of the great theatre posters of the 20th century – offers an arresting yet economic glimpse of the show itself. [47 words]
The Ice Break
1977
Opera by Michael Tippett, 1977
Royal Opera House, London
Offset litho
Designed by Rick Wentworth
Photograph by Dawson Strange Photography Ltd
Museum no. S.816-1995
Cats
1981
Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1981, based on poems by T.S. Eliot, 1939
New London Theatre, London
Offset litho
Museum no. S.2415-1994 |
| Literary reference | Michael Tippet's <i>The Ice Break</i> |
| Summary | This poster for the premiére of Tippet's The Ice Break reveals very little about the production, other than giving an enigmatic, foreboding sense of gloom. Tippett described the theme of this opera by asking 'whether or not we can be reborn from the stereotypes we live in?'. The characters within the opera follow certain paths that they are expected to follow by society, which result in violence and race riots. Surrealistic and psychedelic episodes occur, in an attempt to address the question of humanity's survival in the universe without intervention from the astral plane. Tippett tackles a very large theme through this production, without offering an easy solution. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.816-1995 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2008 |
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