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Harrison Birtwistle
Person · male · United Kingdom · Accrington · born 1934 · died 2022 · recording since 1974
English composer (1934–2022)
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Also known as Harrison Birtwislte · Harrison Birtwistle · Harrisson Birtwistle · 哈里森·伯特威斯尔
Timeline
39 events▣ Album 24✦ Award 12◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1930s
1970s
· Debut release
Debut release: Verses for Ensembles / Nenia: The Death of Orpheus / The Fields of Sorrow
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Verses for Ensembles / Nenia: The Death of Orpheus / The Fields of Sorrow
Album
source: musicbrainz
1980s
· Album
Album: Secret Theatre / Silbury Air / Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum
Album
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography1,326 words · 8 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1372592884
Biography
Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include The Triumph of Time (1972) and the operas The Mask of Orpheus (1986), Gawain (1991), and The Minotaur (2008). The last of these was ranked by music critics at The Guardian in 2019 as the third-best piece of the 21st century. Even his compositions that were not written for the stage often showed a theatrical approach. A performance of his saxophone concerto Panic during the BBC's Last Night of the Proms caused "national notoriety". He received many international awards and honorary degrees.
Early life
Harrison Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire around 20 miles north of Manchester. His parents, Fred and Madge Birtwistle, ran a bakery, and his interest in music was encouraged by his mother. She bought him a clarinet when he was seven and arranged for him to have lessons with the local bandmaster. He attended Accrington Grammar School. Much of his youth was spent roaming the countryside near his home, and his frustration with the disruption of the nature by modern technology would affect his later work profoundly. Other youthful activities included the construction of amateur theatrical sets, and the subsequent imagining of dramas taking place inside them. Birtwistle became proficient enough to play in the local military-style band and also played in the orchestra that accompanied Gilbert and Sullivan productions and the local choral society's performances of Handel's Messiah. From around this time Birtwistle first composed, later describing his early pieces as "sub-Vaughan Williams".
In 1952 he entered the Royal Manchester College of Music in Manchester on a clarinet scholarship. While there he came in contact with contemporaries including Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr, the pianist John Ogdon, and the trumpeter Elgar Howarth. Between 1955 and 1957 he completed national service in the Royal Artillery (Plymouth) Band, based in Oswestry.
Composing career
Birtwistle served as director of music at Cranborne Chase School from 1962 until 1965, before continuing his studies at Princeton University on a Harkness Fellowship, where he completed the opera Punch and Judy to a libretto by Stephen Pruslin. It was premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival; Benjamin Britten is said to have left during intermission. This work, together with Verses for Ensembles and The Triumph of Time, led to greater exposure for Birtwistle in the classical music world. The orchestral work The Triumph of Time, inspired by a woodcut by Pieter Bruegel, premiered in 1972.
In 1972, he wrote the music to the film The Offence, starring Sean Connery, his only film score. In 1975, he became musical director of the newly established Royal National Theatre in London, a post he held until 1983. He received a knighthood (1988) and was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (2001). From 1994 to 2001 he was Henry Purcell Professor of Composition at King's College London. Birtwistle was the 1987 recipient of the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for his epic opera The Mask of Orpheus.
Though well-established in the classical music world, Birtwistle was relatively unknown to the general public until the mid-1990s, when two events increased his profile with the wider audience. In 1994 two anti-modernist musicians, Frederick Stocken and Keith Burstein, calling themselves "The Hecklers", organised a demonstration at the first night of a revival of his opera Gawain at the Royal Opera House, London. The following year, Birtwistle's saxophone concertante work Panic was premiered in the second half of the Last Night of the Proms, as the first piece of contemporary music ever, to an estimated worldwide television audience of 100 million. According to the Daily Telegraph, it met with incomprehension from many viewers.
In 1995, he was awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. At the 2006 Ivor Novello Awards he criticised pop musicians at the event for performing too loudly and using too many clichés.
Among the musicians who performed his works are conductors Pierre Boulez, Sir Andrew Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Christoph von Dohnányi, Oliver Knussen and Simon Rattle, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, the soloist in the world premiere of his violin concerto in 2011, and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the soloist in the first performance of his Responses for piano and orchestra in 2014.
Private life
Birtwistle had a low media profile, but occasionally gave interviews. In 2019, he was interviewed for Composer of the Week on BBC Radio 3. He married Sheila Duff, a singer, in 1958. The couple had three sons, two of whom, Adam and Silas, are artists. Sheila died in 2012.
Birtwistle had a stroke in 2021 and died at his home in Mere, Wiltshire, on 18 April 2022, aged 87.
Style
Birtwistle's music is not categorised as belonging to any particular school or movement. For a time, he was described as belonging to the Manchester School, a phrase invented as a parallel to the Second Viennese School to refer to Birtwistle, Goehr, and Davies. Birtwistle's music is complex, written in a modernistic manner with a clear, distinctive voice, with sounds described as of "sonic brashness".
His early work is sometimes evocative of Igor Stravinsky and Olivier Messiaen, whom he acknowledged as influences, and his technique of juxtaposing blocks of sound is sometimes compared to that of Edgard Varèse. Hearing the work of Boulez (Le Marteau sans maître) and Stockhausen (Zeitmaße and Gruppen) in his youth was also inspirational, with that of the latter composer in particular influencing his wind quintet, Refrains and Choruses (1957). His early pieces made frequent use of ostinati and often had a ritualistic feel. These were toned down in Birtwistle's later decades as his compositional style developed.
Even when not creating a visual piece involving stage action, Birtwistle's musical output remained frequently theatrical in conception. The music does not follow the logic and rules of classical forms such as sonata form, but is structured more like a drama. Furthermore, different musical instruments can almost be seen to take the part of different characters in the drama. This is especially apparent in a performance of Secret Theatre (1984). For various portions of the piece, a number of the instrumentalists perform in a soloist capacity. For this, they leave their seat in the ensemble and stand separately, to one side of the ensemble, returning to the group when they are no longer given that role.
Opera
Punch and Judy (1966–1967)
The Mask of Orpheus (1973–84)
Gawain (1990)
The Second Mrs Kong (1993–94)
The Last Supper (2000)
The Minotaur (2008)
The Corridor, chamber opera (2009)
The Cure (2014–15)
Other music
Refrains and Choruses (1957), wind quintet
The Triumph of Time (1971–72), orchestra
Silbury Air (1976–77), chamber orchestra
Secret Theatre (1984), chamber ensemble
Panic (1995), alto saxophone, jazz drum kit and orchestra
Theseus Game (2002), large ensemble with two conductors (2002)
In Broken Images (2011), large ensemble (after the antiphonal music of Gabrieli)
Songs from the Same Earth (2012–13), tenor and piano
Responses (2013–14), piano concerto
Deep Time (2016), orchestra
Honours and awards
1986 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, University of Louisville
1986 Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Ministry of Culture, France
1988 Knight Bachelor (Kt), Monarchy of the United Kingdom in the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours List
1989 Fellowship, Royal Northern College of Music (FRNCM).
1994 Honorary Fellow, Royal Academy of Arts
1995 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
2001 Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH), Monarchy of the United Kingdom in the 2001 New Years Honours List
2003 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards Large-scale Composition in London
2004 First Roche Commission
2007 Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Letters
2015 Wihuri Sibelius Prize
Honorary degrees
1994 University of Sussex, Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)
1996 City, University of London, D.Mus.
2008 University of London, D.Mus.
2010 University of Cambridge, D.Mus.
2013 Bath Spa University, Doctorate
2014 University of Oxford, D.Mus.
2014 Edge Hill University, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 29 | 89.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 27 | 89.5th |
| Studio albums | 24 | 97.3th |
| Awards recorded | 13 | 99.2th |
| Timeline events | 39 | 98th |
| Recording span (years) | 48 | 89th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (27 release groups · 24 studio albums)
Albums · 24
Verses for Ensembles / Nenia: The Death of Orpheus / The Fields of Sorrow
1974 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks
AVerses for EnsemblesB1Nenia: The Death of OrpheusB2The Fields of SorrowSecret Theatre / Silbury Air / Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum
1987 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 51:20
1Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum9:202Silbury Air16:163Secret Theatre25:441989 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 1:43:12
Disc 11Punch and Judy: Prologue4:362Punch and Judy: Homage to Judy7:403Punch and Judy: Resolve I1:094Punch and Judy: Passion Chorale I2:135Punch and Judy: Toccata I b5:196Punch and Judy: Pretty Polly's Rhapsody I2:247Punch and Judy: Sinfonia8:138Punch and Judy: War-Cry4:589Punch and Judy: Toccata II b5:3010Punch and Judy: Pretty Polly's Rhapsody II5:57Disc 21Punch and Judy: Roundel, 1st movement6:312Punch and Judy: Recitative and Passion Aria II3:353Punch and Judy: Proclamation III7:464Punch and Judy: Nightmare2:185Punch and Judy: Tarot-Game 1st draw5:296Punch and Judy: Quartet12:357Punch and Judy: Toccata III a3:188Punch and Judy: Melodrama IV3:199Punch and Judy: Death March3:3710Punch and Judy: Triumph6:451991 · studio album
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Tracklist · 1 track · 37:21
1Earth Dances37:211992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 52:14
1Verses for Ensembles23:272Refrains and Choruses8:263For O, For O, the Hobby-Horse is Forgot20:21The Triumph of Time / Gawain's Journey
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 21 tracks · 54:34
1The Triumph of Time: ♩ = c. 404:272The Triumph of Time: 4 + 5 (Soprano Sax)4:023The Triumph of Time: 10 + 1 (Muted Horns)2:414The Triumph of Time: 14 - 6 (Senza Tempo)3:235The Triumph of Time: 19 (Cor Anglais/Flute Duet)1:376The Triumph of Time: 21 (Central Climax)4:277The Triumph of Time: 31 (String "Chorale")4:428The Triumph of Time: 37 (Senza Tempo)2:299The Triumph of Time: 37 (Cor Anglais Solo)2:0610Gawain's Journey: Introduction2:2311Gawain's Journey: The Opening of the Door1:4312Gawain's Journey: The Challenge2:2413Gawain's Journey: The Court Becomes Visible2:1814Gawain's Journey: He Strikes the Blow1:1215Gawain's Journey: Lullaby1:5116Gawain's Journey: Vision of the Hunt I1:1917Gawain's Journey: Seduction Scene0:5718Gawain's Journey: Vision of the Hunt II2:4219Gawain's Journey: The Journey3:2920Gawain's Journey: Vision of the Hunt III3:0921Gawain's Journey: Morgan Goes Through Into the Blizzard1:13Melencolia 1 / Ritual Fragment / Meridian
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 1:03:17
1Melencolia 1: I.3:222Melencolia 1: II.3:433Melencolia 1: III.4:444Melencolia 1: IV.5:455Melencolia 1: V.6:596Ritual Fragment11:337Meridian: I.3:068Meridian: II.4:209Meridian: III.3:2310Meridian: IV.2:2611Meridian: V.1:1512Meridian: VI.1:3413Meridian: VII.2:5714Meridian: VIII.2:3415Meridian: IX.3:5916Meridian: X.1:371996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 2 tracks · 55:19
1Panic18:302Earth Dances36:492000 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 1:10:57
1The Axe Manual22:122Oockooing Bird3:263Sad Song2:204Berceuse de Jeanne3:115Précis3:236Hector's Dawn1:277Ostinato with Melody5:078Betty Freeman: Her Tango2:089Saraband: The Kings Farewell2:5810Harrison's Clocks: I4:4711Harrison's Clocks: II5:0912Harrison's Clocks: III6:3013Harrison's Clocks: IV4:1314Harrison's Clocks: V4:062000 · studio album
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Tracklist · 4 tracks · 1:10:43
1Introduction to the story and music41:492Harrison Birtwistle talks with Jonathan Cross about The Last Supper11:513The Last Supper: Vision 1: The Crucifixion4:544Birtwistle in context12:092001 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 1:03:32
1Pulse Shadows: Fantasia 13:022Pulse Shadows: Thread suns2:543Pulse Shadows: Frieze 13:364Pulse Shadows: White and Light6:125Pulse Shadows: Fantasia 23:076Pulse Shadows: Psalm2:577Pulse Shadows: Fantasia 32:048Pulse Shadows: With Letter and Clock3:189Pulse Shadows: Frieze 23:1110Pulse Shadows: An Eye, Open2:5811Pulse Shadows: Fantasia 43:1612Pulse Shadows: Todtnauberg4:4413Pulse Shadows: Frieze 34:1114Pulse Shadows: Tenebrae5:0315Pulse Shadows: Fantasia 53:2516Pulse Shadows: Night3:3617Pulse Shadows: Todesfuge - Frieze 34:1618Pulse Shadows: Give the Word1:422002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 33 tracks · 1:17:09
1The Woman and the Hare15:312Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: I.0:513Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: II.0:384Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: III.1:425Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IV.1:116Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: V.1:517Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VI.2:038Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VII.1:239Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VIII.1:1210Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IX. For Amelia1:5411Duets for Storab: I. Vurlar3:4412Duets for Storab: II. Stark Pastoral1:4313Duets for Storab: III. Fanfare with Birds1:4014Duets for Storab: IV. White Pastoral2:1815Duets for Storab: V. From the Church of Lies1:3816Duets for Storab: VI. Crunluath2:3917An Interrupted Endless Melody: I.3:0418An Interrupted Endless Melody: II.3:2419An Interrupted Endless Melody: III.2:1220Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: I.2:0221Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: II.1:1122Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: III.1:2023Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: IV.3:1424Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: V.1:1325Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: VI. Untitled1:5226Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: VII. Cantus I1:3227Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: VIII. Entr'acte II (2nd version)1:1928Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: IX. Cantus II1:0229Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: X. Entr'acte III (2nd version)1:4930Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: XI. Cantus III0:5031Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: XII. Entr'acte V (2nd version)2:1732Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: XIII. Cantus IV3:0733Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments: XIV. Cantus V3:432002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 19 tracks · 1:13:21
1Hoquetus Petrus2:392Refrains and Choruses8:103Hector's Dawn1:274Duets for Storab: I. Urlar3:215Duets for Storab: II. Stark Pastoral1:396Duets for Storab: III. Fanfare with Birds1:297Duets for Storab: IV. White Pastoral2:188Duets for Storab: V. From the Church of Lies1:249Duets for Storab: VI. Crunluath2:3210Linoi8:4411Berceuse de Jeanne2:5512Verses5:3713Chorale from a Toy-Shop2:5214Sad Song2:1415An Interrupted Endless Melody: I.3:0916An Interrupted Endless Melody: II.3:2317An Interrupted Endless Melody: III.2:3318Oockooing Bird3:3919Five Distances13:162008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2:20:41
Disc 11The Minotaur: Opening Credits0:292The Minotaur: One: Arrival19:193The Minotaur: Toccata 11:134The Minotaur: Two: The Choice15:175The Minotaur: Three: The Labyrinth4:396The Minotaur: Four: Ariadne5:017The Minotaur: Five: The Labyrinth9:108The Minotaur: Toccata 22:149The Minotaur: Six: The Minotaur Dreams8:5610The Minotaur: Seven: The Labyrinth16:25Disc 21The Minotaur: Opening0:392The Minotaur: Eight: A Proposition11:293The Minotaur: Toccata 31:214The Minotaur: Nine: The Minotaur Dreams9:345The Minotaur: Ten: The Oracle at Psychro6:576The Minotaur: Eleven: A Blind Bargain5:477The Minotaur: Twelve: The Labyrinth8:578The Minotaur: Thirteen: The Death of the Minotaur8:009The Minotaur: Curtain Calls3:4910The Minotaur: End Credits1:252009 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 1:12:25
1Endless Parade18:022Pietà: ♪ = 63, gleichmäßig ruhig, nicht eilen –7:063Pietà: [] –3:244Pietà: [] –3:425Pietà: []8:336Concerto Grosso no. 1, op. 27: 1. Animato, ma pesante4:407Concerto Grosso no. 1, op. 27: 2. Adagio, molto sostenuto ed espressivo –6:298Concerto Grosso no. 1, op. 27: 3. Con brio4:359Trumpet Concerto15:54Night's Black Bird / The Shadow of Night / The Cry of Anubis
2011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 55:57
1Night's Black Bird14:112The Shadow of Night28:213The Cry of Anubis13:252012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 59:34
1String Quartet: The Tree of Strings29:0229 Movements for String Quartet: Fantasia I3:3639 Movements for String Quartet: Frieze I3:2649 Movements for String Quartet: Fantasia II2:5959 Movements for String Quartet: Fantasia III1:5469 Movements for String Quartet: Frieze II3:1079 Movements for String Quartet: Fantasia IV3:1289 Movements for String Quartet: Frieze III4:2099 Movements for String Quartet: Fantasia V3:34109 Movements for String Quartet: Todesfuge - Frieze IV4:212012 · studio album
2012 · studio album
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Tracklist · 3 tracks · 1:19:38
1The Triumph of Time27:502Earth Dances33:243Panic18:242014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:13:47
1The Ring Dance of the Nazarene24:122Three Latin Motets from 'The Last Supper': I. O bone Jesu3:413Three Latin Motets from 'The Last Supper': II. Pange lingua2:504Three Latin Motets from 'The Last Supper': III. In supremae nocte cenae3:245Carmen Paschale5:486Lullaby2:077On the Sheer Threshold of the Night13:138The Moth Requiem18:322014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 1:05:03
1Three Settings of Lorine Niedecker: I. Always North of Him1:192Three Settings of Lorine Niedecker: II. I Was the Solitary Plover1:423Three Settings of Lorine Niedecker: III. As I Shook Dust From My Father’s Door1:174Trio for violin, violoncello and piano15:535Bogenstrich – Meditations on a Poem of Rilke: I. Liebes-Lied 16:036Bogenstrich – Meditations on a Poem of Rilke: II. Lied ohne Worte6:167Bogenstrich – Meditations on a Poem of Rilke: III. Variationen6:228Bogenstrich – Meditations on a Poem of Rilke: IV. Wie eine Fuge6:199Bogenstrich – Meditations on a Poem of Rilke: V. Liebes-Lied 26:2610Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: I. There’s a Better Shine1:0111Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: II. My Friend Tree0:4812Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: III. Along the River1:3413Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IV. Hear Where Her Snowgrave Is1:0114Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: V. How the White Gulls2:0215Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VI. My Life2:1316Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VII. Paul1:4317Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VIII. O Late Fall1:0918Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IX. Sleep’s Dream1:552015 · studio album
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Tracklist · 28 tracks · 1:00:51
1Nenia: The Death of Orpheus12:512Orpheus Elegies: No. 12:103Orpheus Elegies: No. 21:024Orpheus Elegies: No. 11. Sonnet I2:525Orpheus Elegies: No. 51:116Orpheus Elegies: No. 14. Sonnet III1:327Orpheus Elegies: No. 120:388Orpheus Elegies: No. 250:509Orpheus Elegies: No. 20. Sonnet V1:5910Fantasia III1:5411Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: I. There’s a Better Shine0:4712Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: II. My Friend Tree0:4013Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: III. Along the River1:1314Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IV. Hear Where the Snow-Grave Is0:5315Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: V. How White the Gulls1:3316Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VI. My Life By Water2:1217Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VII. Paul When the Leaves Fall1:1018Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: VIII. O Late Fall Marsh0:3919Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker: IX. Sleep’s Dream1:2820Frieze I3:5421Lullaby1:5322Songs by Myself: I. O Light Set the Flame in Amber0:5723Songs by Myself: II. I Lean Against a Shade1:2924Songs by Myself: III. Cold Statements1:3725Songs by Myself: IV. Steps1:3126Songs by Myself: V. The Silence Before Light2:1927Interview3:1428Cantus Iambeus6:232017 · studio album
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Tracklist · 26 tracks · 1:09:53
1Fanfare for a New Theatre0:542Canon ad honorem Igor Stravinsky2:163Chorale from a Toy Shop - for Igor Stravinsky (2016 version for winds)1:224Chorale from a Toy Shop - for Igor Stravinsky (2016 version for strings)1:345The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Introduction. The Soldier's March2:386The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Music for Scene 1. Airs by a Stream6:517The Soldier's Tale: Part One: The Soldier's March (reprise)4:338The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Music for Scene 2. Pastorale4:549The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Music for the End of Scene 23:1110The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Airs by a Stream (Reprise)4:1811The Soldier's Tale: Part One: Music for Scene 3. Airs by a Stream (reprise)0:5312The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: The Soldier's March (reprise)4:0913The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Royal March7:1414The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Little Concert2:5615The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Three Dances: No. 1. Tango2:0316The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Three Dances: No. 2. Waltz1:5217The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Three Dances: No. 3. Ragtime2:0618The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: The Devil's Dance1:2019The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Little Chorale0:3520The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: The Devil's Song0:4221The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Great Chorale4:3922The Soldier's Tale: Part Two: Triumphal March of the Devil2:2623Double Canon (Raoul Dufy in memoriam)1:2424Epitaphium für das Grabmal des Prinzen Max Egon zu Fürstenberg1:2425Tombeau - in memoriam Igor Stravinsky2:1626Canon in memoriam Igor Stravinsky1:232022 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:04:25
1Trio for Violin, Cello & Piano15:412Duet for 8 Strings19:553Pulse Sampler10:124Oboe Quartet: I. Quaver = 1446:175Oboe Quartet: II. Crotchet = 724:376Oboe Quartet: III. Quaver = 661:567Oboe Quartet: IV. Quaver = 965:47
Broadcast · 3
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 2009-08-14: "The Mask of Orpheus: The Arches", Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UKSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 58:181The Mask of Orpheus: The Arches56:02 2[radio outro]2:16 | Live | — | |
| — | 2009-06: Aldeburgh Festival, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh, England, UKSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 7 tracks · 1:14:301A Cold Spring10:07 2[talking about On Conversing with Paradise]3:41 3On Conversing with Paradise12:02 4The Corridor, part 111:28 5The Corridor, part 216:11 6The Corridor, part 314:21 7The Corridor, part 46:40 | Live | — | |
| — | 2009-08-04: Royal Albert Hall, London, England, UKSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 7 tracks · 1:06:051[radio intro]2:15 2Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum9:04 3[radio]3:12 4Silbury Air14:42 5[radio]8:15 6Verses for ensembles25:53 7[radio outro]2:44 | Live | — |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Harrison Birtwistle head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 29 | 89.7th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 27 | 89.5th |
| Studio albums | 24 | 97.3th |
| Awards recorded | 13 | 99.2th |
| Timeline events | 39 | 98th |
| Recording span (years) | 48 | 89th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres | won | |
| 1987 | Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition | won | |
| 1987 | Grawemeyer Awards | won | |
| 1988 | Knight Bachelor | won | |
| 1991 | Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Chamber-Scale Composition) | won | |
| 1992 | Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Large-Scale Composition) | won | |
| 1995 | Ernst von Siemens Music Prize | won | |
| 2001 | Companion of Honour | won | |
| 2004 | Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Large-Scale Composition) | won | |
| 2009 | Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Chamber-Scale Composition) | won | |
| 2014 | Royal Philharmonic Society Award (Chamber-Scale Composition) | won | |
| 2015 | Wihuri Sibelius Prize | won | |
| — | Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harrison_Birtwistle_%28cropped%29.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/32fe4f94-8ea7-4dc6-acc0-0992806db30ediscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/32fe4f94-8ea7-4dc6-acc0-0992806db30ecore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q354335genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q354335seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Birtwistlebiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Birtwistle
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: notable long tail (listeners 0, 29 language versions)
Image: MITO SettembreMusica · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q354335 · MusicBrainz: 32fe4f94-8ea7-4dc6-acc0-0992806db30e
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