The Whale (Tavener)

The Whale is a musical work by British composer Sir John Tavener, completed in 1966 and first performed in 1968. It is a large-scale cantata for soloists, chorus, children's chorus, and orchestra, based on passages from the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament.

The piece is notable for its avant-garde and theatrical elements, reflecting the experimental musical trends of the 1960s. These elements include amplified voices, taped sounds, aleatoric sections (where chance plays a role in the performance), and unconventional instrumentation, such as electric guitars and sirens. Tavener's score also uses graphic notation in certain sections, allowing for improvisational interpretations by the performers.

The Whale tells the story of Jonah's disobedience to God's command to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah attempts to flee by sea, is swallowed by a great whale, and repents in the whale's belly. He is then vomited onto the shore and finally obeys God's command.

The work is structurally divided into sections that depict different stages of the narrative, from the initial command to Jonah to preach, through his flight, the storm at sea, the swallowing by the whale, Jonah's prayer from within the whale, and finally, his eventual deliverance and mission to Nineveh.

Despite its initially controversial reception due to its experimental nature, The Whale is now regarded as a significant work in Tavener's oeuvre and an important example of British contemporary classical music. It demonstrates Tavener's early interest in spiritual themes, which would become a defining characteristic of his later compositions.