Mock Turtles (opera)

Mock Turtles is a chamber opera in one act composed by Simon Bainbridge to a libretto by Michael Finnissy. It was commissioned by the Almeida Opera and premiered at the Almeida Theatre in London on July 4, 1968.

The opera is based on the "Mock Turtle" chapter of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The libretto distills the key dialogue and absurd scenarios from the chapter, focusing on Alice's interactions with the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. The music is characterized by its atonal language, complex rhythms, and angular melodies, reflecting the surreal and nonsensical nature of Carroll's text. Instrumentation typically includes a small ensemble of strings, woodwinds, and percussion.

The opera explores themes of identity, loss, and the absurdity of societal expectations, all viewed through the lens of Carroll's whimsical and often dark humor. The characters are presented as caricatures, highlighting the artificiality and performativity inherent in human interactions. Performances are relatively rare, owing to the difficulty of the score and the unconventional nature of the subject matter.