Where the Wild Things Are (opera) facts for kids
Where the Wild Things Are is a special kind of musical play called an opera. It's based on the famous children's book by Maurice Sendak. The music was written by Oliver Knussen, and Sendak himself wrote the words for the songs (called the libretto). Knussen worked on the music from 1979 to 1983.
This opera is a bit like other famous musical stories. It shares ideas with "L'enfant et les sortilèges" by Maurice Ravel and "The Nightingale" by Igor Stravinsky. Knussen also added small musical hints from other pieces. These include "La boîte à joujoux" by Claude Debussy and a bell sound from "Boris Godunov" by Modest Mussorgsky.
Meet the Characters: Roles in the Opera
| Role | Voice type | First Singers (1980) (Conductor: Ronald Zollman) |
First Dancers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max | soprano (a high female voice) | Jane Manning | |
| Mama (Max's mother) | mezzo-soprano (a medium female voice) | Gwendoline Neish-Ross | |
| Tzippy (a female Wild Thing) | Jenny Weston | ||
| Moishe (Wild Thing with a Beard) | tenor (a high male voice) | Hugh Hetherington | Perry Davey |
| Bruno (Wild Thing with Horns) | baritone (a medium male voice) | Jeremy Munro | Cenzig Saner |
| Emile (Rooster Wild Thing) | bass-baritone (a low male voice) | Stephen Rhys-Williams | Brian Andro |
| Bernard (Bull Wild Thing) | bass (a very low male voice) | Andrew Gallacher | Bernard Bennett |
| Goat Wild Thing | dance-mime, tenor | Hugh Hetherington | Mike Gallant |
| Sea-Monster Wild Thing | prop (a stage object) | ||
The opera's instructions say that all the Wild Things should be played by dancers on stage. The singers who perform their voices are usually off-stage, and their voices are made louder with microphones.
The Story: What Happens in the Opera
The story of "Where the Wild Things Are" follows a boy named Max. He likes to dress up in a wolf suit. One day, Max throws a big tantrum. Because of this, his Mama (his mother) sends him to his room.
While in his room, Max escapes into his dreams. In his dream, he travels to a magical forest. From there, he sails to an island. This island is where the Wild Things live!
The Wild Things are big, furry, and a bit scary, but they soon like Max. They even decide to make him their king. This special moment is called a "coronation." After Max becomes king, everyone joins in a wild, crazy dance. This dance is known as the "Wild Rumpus."
During the Wild Rumpus, one of the Wild Things, Tzippy, loses her head (not really, it's part of the fun!). This makes Max stop the dancing. In the end, Max's dream is over. He wakes up and finds the food his Mama left for him.
Listen to the Opera: Recordings
You can listen to the opera "Where the Wild Things Are" through these recordings:
- Unicorn-Kanchana DKP 9044 / Arabesque 6535-L: This recording features singers like Rosemary Hardy and Mary King. The London Sinfonietta orchestra plays the music, led by the composer, Oliver Knussen.
- Deutsche Grammophon 469 556-2: Another recording with singers such as Lisa Saffer and Mary King. The London Sinfonietta also performs here, with Oliver Knussen conducting.
