Page 321 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

CONTEMPORARY 319

See also: Pierrot lunaire 240–245 ■ A Child of Our Time 284–285 ■
Peter Grimes 288–293 ■ In Seven Days 328

theatre. Davies meanwhile rebelled screaming and screeching,
against conventional teaching extremely high or low notes,
methods in the quest for a modern and even simultaneous notes
composing idiom developed from sung together in chords.
the musical techniques and
structures of Renaissance Europe. Fusion sounds
Although the work was a huge
Music theatre success, Davies soon moved away
In the 1960s, the avant-garde from composing purely avant-garde
genre of “music theatre” provided pieces. From 1972, he turned his
Davies with a vehicle for his attention to classical forms and Peter Maxwell Davies
modernist style. In music theatre, went on to write 10 orchestral
musicians shared the stage with symphonies, many of which were Born in Salford, Lancashire,
vocal and theatrical performers, inspired by his new home of in 1934, Davies won a place at
all taking part equally in the Orkney, Scotland. the Royal Manchester College
drama. The idea had its origins Over the course of his career, of Music. After further study
in Schoenberg’s groundbreaking Davies gained a reputation for in Italy, he taught music at
atonal work Pierrot lunaire (1912), polystylism—combining disparate Cirencester Grammar School,
with its new kind of part-singing, genres in one piece. By the turn of starting a lifelong commitment
part-spoken vocal performance the 21st century, classical music to musical education. After
and strong theatrical elements. in Britain had similarly moved far spells studying and teaching
In 1967, Davies and Birtwistle beyond the dominance of any one in the US and Australia, he
founded a chamber group to set of stylistic values. The music returned to England in 1966,
perform Pierrot lunaire and more of Jonathan Harvey mastered the where he gained a reputation
as a controversial figure in
contemporary pieces. It was called fusion of vocal, instrumental, and contemporary music.
the Pierrot Players, after the electronic sounds, whereas John A visit to the Orkney
Schoenberg work, and in 1970 Tavener successfully absorbed Islands in Scotland in 1970
reformed as The Fires of London. the music of Eastern Orthodox began a deep involvement
The group set out to stage Christianity into the Western with the islands and their
provocatively subversive dramatic concert hall. The music of Mark- culture. He settled on Hoy in
works in small venues. Among Anthony Turnage, meanwhile, 1974, later moving to another
these was Eight Songs for a Mad has boldly incorporated elements island, Sanday. In 1976,
King, portraying the unhinged of jazz into classical pieces. ■ he founded the St. Magnus
psychological world of the British International Festival, named
monarch King George III. Some of after Orkney’s patron saint,
the group’s players were deployed involving local people
on stage in cages to represent the alongside professional
caged birds that the king liked to musicians. Davies was Master
of the Queen’s Music from
talk to. Alongside the traditional Sometimes I suspect that 2004 until his death in 2016.
instruments used, such as violin, Davies himself may be a
cello, and clarinet, were unusual little bit mad.
examples, including a railway Peter G. Davis Other key works
whistle, steel bar, didgeridoo, Music critic (1983)
and toy bird calls. 1960 O Magnum Mysterium
1962–1970 Taverner
The vocal part, written for 1969 Worldes Blis
the South African baritone Roy 1976–1977 The Martyrdom
Hart, exploited an extraordinary of St Magnus
range of sounds, from singing to

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