ABSTRACT
The Robert Saxton's works after Caritas makes it clear that many of the compositions produced in the two decades from 1990 to 2010 were used to try out procedures and structures that were being developed with The Wandering Jew in mind. Although it is possible to identify The Wandering Jew as a comparable landmark to Caritas, it is important to realize that it is much more than a mere end-point to what may conveniently be described as Saxton's second creative period. The Wandering Jew, himself, is employed as both a singing protagonist and as a narrator who speaks his commentaries during the 'real-time' action of a particular scene or transition. A comparison between The Wandering Jew and Saxton's first opera, however, reveals a rather less conciliatory view of religion – not surprisingly, perhaps, bearing in mind that the medieval Catholic Church of Caritas was under attack from without and within.
