We’re celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day with a take a look at Irish composers. Our checklist of eight composers from the seventeenth century to the current day isn’t meant to be exhaustive, however a cross part of creators from the Emerald Isle.
Turlough O’Carolan (1670 to 1738)
Turlough O’Carolan was a blind composer, harpist, and singer. His works are famous for his or her melodic nature, and drew from each historic Gaelic harping traditions in addition to the Baroque music of his European contemporaries. He’s thought-about by many to be Eire’s nationwide composer. In his time, his works for harp had been thought-about too fashionable by some performers. His profession spanned 5 many years of crisscrossing Eire to play and compose his items.
Within the video: Sí bheag, sí mhór by Turlough O’Carolan arr. Marja Gaynor, carried out by Camerata Kilkenny & David Energy, uilleann pipes from their album The Piper and the Fairy Queen.
John Area (1782 to 1837)
John Area was an acclaimed live performance pianist in his day, and he toured so far as St. Petersburg as a performer. He first studied at residence together with his father and grandfather, and later in London with Muzio Clementi. He had a three-decade lengthy profession as a performer throughout Europe, alongside together with his work as an influential composer. His music was an inspiration to many different composers, together with Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, and Liszt. He’s credited with inventing the Nocturne as a musical kind.
Within the video: Lisa Yui performs John Area’s Nocturne No. 1 in E-flat Main.
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
Charles Villiers Stanford turned a key determine within the realm of British music. He was born right into a rich and influential Dublin household, and educated on the College of Cambridge earlier than occurring to check music in Berlin and Leipzig. One of many founding professors on the Royal Faculty of Music, his affect prolonged as an educator. The checklist of his outstanding pupils consists of Gustav Holst and Vaughan Williams. Stanford wrote seven symphonies, and plenty of choral works for the Anglican church, in addition to 9 operas.
Within the video: The King’s Singers carry out Stanford’s The Blue Fowl as a part of the Metropolis of Derry Worldwide Choral Pageant in October 2015.
Ina Boyle (1889 to 1967)
As is the case with many ladies composers of her day, the works of Ina Boyle are extra usually introduced in the present day than throughout her lifetime. The Irish composer labored in quite a lot of varieties, together with chamber and orchestral works, choral items, ballet, and opera. She was a pupil of the British composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who had an appreciation for his pupil’s work. She spent her life in Eire, caring for family, quite than making the transfer to London to pursue a profession. Nonetheless, she composed every day, impressed by the countryside round her household residence in County Wicklow. The Trinity Faculty Manuscript Library comprises many stacks of her manuscripts which are ready for his or her premieres.
The video: The world premiere of Boyle’s Phantasy for violin and chamber orchestra, composed in 1926. Violinist Erin Hennessey typeset the primary version of the work; now obtainable by way of the Up to date Music Centre in Dublin. Erin Hennessey performs right here with college, college students and alumni of the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2021.
Aloys Fleischman (1910 to 1992)
Aloys Fleischman was born in Munich, Germany to a household of musicians. His mom hailed from Cork, and had studied piano in Munich, the place she met his father, additionally a church musician. The couple and baby returned to Cork. Aloys went on to check music on the College Faculty Cork, and the Nationwide College of Eire, acquiring his PhD. He adopted his mother and father’ footsteps to Munich, the place he studied composition. Aloys left a big physique of labor, together with choral and orchestral items, 5 ballets, a symphony, a number of music cycles and diverse items for chamber ensembles and soloists. He performed a key position in founding a lot of Cork’s musical establishments.
Within the video: The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) performed by Laurent Pillot, performs Aloys Fleischmann’s Time’s Offspring Overture at St John’s Smith Sq., London in 2013.
Seóirse Bodley (b.1933)
With a world profile as one in all Eire’s main residing composers, Seóirse Bodley can be an educator, broadcaster and conductor, amongst different roles. His influences vary from historic Irish music to modern and avant-garde music, and crosses genres. He’s Emeritus Professor in music at College Faculty Dublin, was awarded the title of Saoi of Aosdána (Eire’s academy for inventive arts) “for singular and sustained distinction within the arts”.
Within the video: An excerpt from a live performance and interview by composer Seóirse Bodley and soprano Sylvia O’Brien on the Hugh Lane Gallery on 20 April 2008 on the event of his seventy fifth birthday.
Gerald Barry (b.1952)
Gerald Barry first studied music at College Faculty Dublin earlier than persevering with on to Amsterdam, after which Cologne, the place he studied with Stockhausen and Kagel. It’s the latter expertise that almost all influenced his composition, and his public profession was launched in 1979. His unpredictable works draw from a broadly disparate vary of influences, from Handel arias to folks music, and are sometimes described as sharp-edged. He’s written music for movies in addition to live performance items and operas, together with the vastly profitable The Significance of Being Earnest, which acquired its world premiere at Los Angeles, and a European premiere on the Barbican in London.
Within the video: Gerald Barry’s Piano Quartet No. 1 is peformed by Time’s Arrow in 2018.
Deirdre Gribbin (b.1967)
Deirdre Gribbin started composing throughout her research at Queen’s College in Belfast, the place she was born. She went on to check in London and Denmark, and acquired her doctorate from the College of London. She gained the PRS Lady in Music award, with a premiere of her piece for solo cello on the Huddersfield Up to date Music Pageant. Her work has been commissioned and carried out around the globe. Deirdre is concerned in quite a lot of work, together with creating music-based motivational healthcare apps in affiliation with Holland Bloorview Children Hospital in Toronto, and serves as Inventive Director of Venus Blazing Music Theatre Belief, working with younger folks with cognitive delays. Alongside along with her orchestral items, she has written music for movie, in addition to BBC Radio dramas.
Within the video: Pacifica Quartet carry out the World Premiere of Deirdre Gribbin’s Darkish Matter Looking in 2021.
Sláinte every one.
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Anya Wassenberg is a Senior Author and Digital Content material Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher with OntarioLearn.
