Page "Michael Tippett" Paragraph 33

The Ice Break, Tippett's fourth opera, was beset by production difficulties.

At its Covent Garden premiere in 1977 it received a mixed reception.

The libretto was attacked for its use of contemporary slang and the plot, featuring race riots and a psychedelic ' trip ', was held by some to be sensational.

Further productions have strengthened the work's reputation, but it remains one of the least-performed of Tippett's major works.