List of compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies

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Peter Maxwell Davies in 2012

Peter Maxwell Davies, an English composer and conductor, wrote music in many genres, notably ten symphonies and works for the stage, from the monodrama Eight Songs for a Mad King (first performed in 1969) to The Hogboon (scheduled to be performed in June 2016).[1]

His official catalogue includes more than 334 works starting with his Op. 1 in 1955, but there are also about fifty earlier works dating back as far as 1942—regarded as juvenilia—and around a hundred minor mature works, designated by "WoO" (Werke ohne Opuszahl = Works without Opus number). These numbers were not assigned by the composer, but rather were first established only in 2010.[2]

He sometimes based his music on Mediaeval and Renaissance motifs and themes such as the opera Taverner, on the composer John Taverner. After his move to Orkney, he often used Orcadian themes, for example in An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise for orchestra with bagpipes. Interested in classical forms, he composed series and cycles of works. The first seven of his ten symphonies form a cycle. He composed several concertos, including a Trumpet Concerto and a series of ten Strathclyde Concertos for different instruments, sometimes in combination.[3][4] Of his fourteen string quartets, ten form a series, the Naxos Quartets which can be considered a multi-installment "novel."[5]

Table of selected compositions[edit]

This incomplete table of compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies lists notable works chronologically, adding when available subtitle or full title, scoring, Opus number (Op.), year of composition, genre, text information, and the link to the details on the official website.[1] The title is sometimes a common title, with a subtitle added in the same column, while other details such as a full title or a description appear in the second column. The scoring is given if it is not obvious from the title, or unexpected, such as the tenth symphony which includes vocal parts. A year of composition follows, according to the website. The year of a first performance may be different. The column "Text" lists texts on which the work is based, or their author(s).

Compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies
Title Detail Scoring Op. Year Genre Text Reference
Early Morning Echoes
 piano solo WoO 1 1942 (1942) Solo instrumental 343
Sonata
 trumpet and piano 1 1955 (1955) Chamber 225
Five Pieces for Piano
 piano solo 2 1956 (1956) Solo instrumental 89
Alma Redemptoris Mater
 wind sextet: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn 5 1957 (1957) Chamber 29
First Taverner Fantasia
 First Fantasia on an In Nomine of John Taverner 19 1962 (1962) Orchestral 82
Second Taverner Fantasia
 Second Fantasia on an In Nomine of John Taverner 23 1964 (1964) Orchestral 208
Five Little Pieces for Piano
 piano solo 27 1964 (1964) Solo instrumental 87
Revelation and Fall
 Monodrama
  • soprano
  • instrumental ensemble
 31 1966 (1966) Vocal 200
St Thomas Wake: Foxtrot for Orchestra on a Pavan by John Bull
 37 1966–1969 (1966–1969) Orchestral [6]
Worldes Blis
 38 1966–1969 (1966–1969) Orchestral [6]
Eight Songs for a Mad King
Music theatre work for male voice and instrumental ensemble
 39 1969 (1969) Opera Randolph Stow, George III 2
Points and Dances from "Taverner"
for instrumental ensemble
 46 1971 (1971) Suite [7]
Symphony No. 1
 71 1976 (1976) Symphony 258
The Martyrdom of St Magnus
Chamber opera in nine scenes
 72 1976 (1976) Opera Peter Maxwell Davies 289
Salome
Ballet in two acts
 80a 1978 (1978) Ballet Peter Maxwell Davies 204
The Lighthouse
Chamber opera in one act with prologue
 86 1979 (1979) Opera Peter Maxwell Davies 286
Cinderella
Pantomime opera in two acts for young performers
 87 1979 (1979) Opera Peter Maxwell Davies 59
The Yellow Cake Revue
 88 1980 (1980) Solo instrumental 300
Symphony No. 2
 91 1980 (1980) Symphony 259
Piano Sonata
 piano solo 93 1981 (1981) Solo instrumental 188
Sea Eagle
 horn solo 103 1982 (1982) Solo instrumental 205
Organ Sonata
 organ solo 107 1982 (1982) Solo instrumental 181
Symphony No. 3
 119 1984 (1984) Symphony 260
An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise
For orchestra with solo bagpipes
 120a 1984 (1984) Orchestral 31
Violin Concerto No. 1
 dedicated to Isaac Stern 123 1985 (1985) Concerto 61
Strathclyde Concerto No. 1
  • oboe
  • orchestra
 128 1987 (1987) Concerto 242
Strathclyde Concerto No. 2
  • cello
  • orchestra
 131 1987 (1987) Concerto 243
Trumpet Concerto
 132 1988 (1988) Concerto 341
Symphony No. 4
 136 1989 (1989) Symphony 261
Strathclyde Concerto No. 3
  • horn
  • trumpet
  • orchestra
 139 1989 (1989) Concerto 541
Strathclyde Concerto No. 4
  • clarinet
  • orchestra
 143 1990 (1990) Concerto 245
Caroline Mathilde
Ballet in two acts
 144a 1990 (1990) Ballet 54
Strathclyde Concerto No. 5
  • violin
  • viola
  • strings
 151 1990 (1990) Concerto 246
Strathclyde Concerto No. 6
  • flute
  • orchestra
 152 1991 (1991) Concerto 247
Strathclyde Concerto No. 7
  • double bass
  • orchestra
 156 1992 (1992) Concerto 248
Strathclyde Concerto No. 8
  • bassoon
  • orchestra
 159 1993 (1993) Concerto 249
Symphony No. 5
 166 1994 (1994) Symphony 262
Strathclyde Concerto No. 9
  • piccolo
  • alto flute
  • cor anglais
  • E♭ clarinet
  • bass clarinet
  • contrabassoon
  • strings
 170 1994 (1994) Concerto 250
Symphony No. 6
 176 1996 (1996) Symphony 263
Strathclyde Concerto No. 10
  • orchestra
 179 1996 (1996) Concerto 251
Piccolo Concerto
 182 1996 (1996) Concerto 189
The Doctor of Myddfai
Music theatre work for soprano, baritone, bass and instrumental ensemble
 175 1995 (1995) Opera David Pountney 276
Mr Emmet Takes a Walk
Music theatre work for soprano, baritone, bass and instrumental ensemble
 207 1999 (1999) Chamber opera David Pountney 143
Symphony No. 7
 211 2000 (2000) Symphony 264
Symphony No. 8
Antarctic
 215 2000 (2000) Symphony 339
Naxos Quartet No. 1
 string quartet 229 2002 (2002) Chamber 164
Naxos Quartet No. 2
 string quartet 234 2003 (2003) Chamber 165
Naxos Quartet No. 3
 string quartet 236 2003 (2003) Chamber 166
Naxos Quartet No. 4
Children's Games
 string quartet 245 2004 (2004) Chamber 167
Naxos Quartet No. 5
Lighthouses of Orkney and Shetland
 string quartet 253 2004 (2004) Chamber 168
Naxos Quartet No. 6
 string quartet 257 2005 (2005) Chamber 169
Naxos Quartet No. 7
Metafore sul Borromini
 string quartet 265 2005 (2005) Chamber 170
Naxos Quartet No. 8
 string quartet 268 2003 (2003) Chamber 171
Naxos Quartet No. 9
 string quartet 275 2005 (2005) Chamber 172
Naxos Quartet No. 10
 string quartet 283 2007 (2007) Chamber 327
Piano Quartet
 piano, violin, viola, cello 288 2007 (2007) Chamber 321
Kommilitonen!
 Young Blood! 306 2011 (2011) Opera David Pountney 549
Symphony No. 9
 315 2012 (2012) Symphony 560
Symphony No. 10
"Alla ricerca di Borromini"
  • baritone
  • choir
  • orchestra
 327 2013 (2013) Symphony anonymous,
Francesco Borromini,
Giacomo Leopardi 		572
The Hogboon
  • soloists
  • children's choirs
  • adult SATB choir
  • orchestra
 336 2015 (2015) Dramatic work 582


References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Works list". Davies official website. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  2. ^ Nicholas Jones and Richard McGregor, "Peter Maxwell Davies's Opus and WoO Numbers: A New Work List", Musical Times 151, no. 1910 (Spring 2010): 53–86.
  3. ^ "Peter Maxwell Davies". Schott. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Peter Maxwell Davies". Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  5. ^ "The Best Classical CD's of 2004; DAVIES: 'NAXOS' QUARTETS NOS. 1, 2". New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  6. ^ a b Nicholas Jones and Richard McGregor, The Music of Peter Maxwell Davies, Boydell (2020), 322.
  7. ^ Nicholas Jones and Richard McGregor, The Music of Peter Maxwell Davies, Boydell (2020), 323.

External links[edit]

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