Alun Hoddinott is the most important living Welsh composer and one of the most distinguished and prolific composers of his generation internationally. His works have been performed in major centres as far afield as Tokyo and Berlin, Melbourne and Leipzig, New York and Venice as well as the major festivals in Wales and England. He is one of the very few composers to have been commissioned to compose a concerto for Mstislav Rostropovitch. Born in Bargoed, Glamorganshire, in August 1929, Alun Hoddinott started to play the violin and compose at an early age. Some of his works were performed and broadcast whilst he was a student at University College, Cardiff and he later studied with the Australian composer and pianist Arthur Benjamin. His first major success was his Clarinet Concerto No.1, given by Gervaise de Peyer and the Halle Orchestra under John Barbirolli at the 1954 Cheltenham Music Festival. This Source Book lists all Hoddinott's compositions from 1946 to 2005, almost 60 years of phenomenal output, and shows he has achieved a mastery of composition which embraces almost every musical medium. With information given on first performances, manuscript locations and recordings, in addition to details of composition dates, authors/librettists, durations, commissions and dedications amongst much else, this book is a key reference for all those interested in Alun Hoddinott and his music.
Born in 1900, Alan Bush, the English composer, conductor and pianist, studied with Corder and Matthay, and privately with John Ireland. He was appointed professor of harmony and composition at the Royal Academy of Music in 1925, a post he held until 1978. In 1929-31, he continued to study at Berlin University and had piano lessons with Moiseiwitsch and Schnabel. The present Source Book documents his works (many of which reflect his Communist sympathies) and the many arrangements of his music by other composers. A wealth of detail is provided, including printed scores, CD recordings, bibliographical material and manuscript scores and their locations, the majority of which have been deposited recently in the British Library by the Bush family. A chronology of the composer's life draws on many sources including letters and scrapbooks.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.