List of compositions by Michael Tippett

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The compositional career of the British composer Michael Tippett extended over eight decades, from juvenilia and unpublished works written in the 1920s to his final works of the 1990s. He composed across many genres, from large-scale orchestral works and full-length operas to solo songs and brass band fanfares. From the mid-1930s his music began to be published and performed publicly. The main list is restricted to published and publicly performed works; a subsidiary list gives details of unpublished pieces, some of which may have been privately performed.

Contents

Published works

Opera

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1946–52 The Midsummer Marriage Voices and orchestra27 January 1955:
London. Royal Opera House cond. John Pritchard 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. See also "Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage" in orchestral works [1]
1958–61 King Priam Voices and orchestra29 May 1962:
Coventry. Coventry Theatre. Royal Opera House chorus & orch. cond. John Pritchard 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [2]
1966–69 The Knot Garden Voices and orchestra2 December 1970:
London. Royal Opera House cond. Colin Davis 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [3]
1973–76 The Ice Break Voices and orchestra7 July 1977:
London. Royal Opera House cond. Colin Davis 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [3]
1985–88 New Year Voices and orchestra27 October 1989:
Houston, Texas. Houston Grand Opera cond. John DeMain 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer.
Orchestral Suite 1989.		 [4] [5]

Orchestral

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1938–39 Concerto for Double String Orchestra Orchestra21 April 1940:
London. South London Orchestra (Morley College) cond. Michael Tippett		Dedicated "to Jeffrey Mark" [6]
1944–45 Symphony No. 1 Orchestra10 November 1945:
Liverpool. Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Malcolm Sargent 		[1]
1946Little Music for StringsString Orchestra9 November 1946:
London. Jacques Orchestra cond. Reginald Jacques 		Written for 10th anniversary of Jacques String Orchestra [1]
1948Suite in D: Birthday Suite for Prince CharlesOrchestra15 November 1948:
London. BBC broadcast, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Adrian Boult 		BBC commission to mark Prince Charles's birth. Revised in 1983 by Brian Bowen [1]
1952Ritual Dances from The Midsummer MarriageOrchestra and optional chorus13 February 1953:
Basel. Basler Kammerorchester cond. Paul Sacher 		Dedicated "to Walter Goehr" [1]
1953 Variations on an Elizabethan Theme (Composite work: second variation, "Lament" by Tippett)Small Orchestra16 June 1953:
London. BBC broadcast, orchestra cond. Benjamin Britten 		Variations by six composers. First public performance Aldeburgh Festival, 20 June 1953 [7]
1953 Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli String orchestra29 August 1953:
Edinburgh. BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett		 Edinburgh Festival celebration of tercentenary of birth of Arcangelo Corelli [8]
1953–54Divertimento on Sellinger's RoundChamber orchestra5 November 1954:
Zürich. Collegium Musicum Zürich cond. Paul Sacher 		Commissioned by, and dedicated to, Paul Sacher [8]
1956–57 Symphony No. 2 Orchestra5 February 1958:
London. BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Adrian Boult 		Dedicated "to John Minchinton" [2]
1962Incidental music for The Tempest Chamber Orchestra29 May 1962:
London. Old Vic production; music directed by John Lambert		 [9]
1962–63Concerto for OrchestraOrchestra28 August 1963:
Edinburgh. London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Written in celebration of Benjamin Britten's 50th birthday and dedicated to him [10]
1966"Braint" (last of Severn Bridge Variations, a composite work)Orchestra12 January 1967:
Swansea. BBC Training Orchestra cond Sir Adrian Boult 		One of 7 variations on a trad. Welsh melody, each by a different composer [3]
1970–72 Symphony No. 3 Soprano and orchestra22 June 1972:
London. Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Dedicated "to Howard Hartog" [3]
1976–77 Symphony No. 4 Orchestra6 October 1977:
Chicago. Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Georg Solti 		Dedicated "to Ian Kemp" [11]
1988Water Out of SunlightOrchestra15 June 1988:
London. Academy of St Martin in the Fields cond. Neville Marriner 		Orchestral arrangement by Meirion Bowen of String Quartet No. 4 (1977–78) [5] [12]
1991–93The Rose LakeOrchestra19 February 1995:
London. London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Premiered at a Tippett 90th birthday celebration concert [13]

Concertante

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1939–41Fantasia on a Theme of HandelPiano and orchestra7 March 1942:
London. Phyllis Sellick, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Walter Goehr 		Dedicated "to Phyllis Sellick" [6]
1953–55 Piano Concerto Piano and orchestra30 October 1956:
Birmingham. Louis Kentner, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra cond. Rudolf Schwarz 		Dedicated "to Evelyn Maude" [8]
1978–79Triple concerto for violin, viola and celloViolin, viola, cello and orchestra22 August 1980:
London. György Pauk, Nobuko Imai, Ralph Kirshbaum, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Dedicated "to Herbert and Betty Barrett" [11]

Choral

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1939–41Oratorio: A Child of Our Time SATB soloists, choir and orchestra19 March 1944:
London. Joan Cross, Margaret MacArthur, Peter Pears, Roderick Lloyd, London Regional Civil Defence Choir, Morley College Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Walter Goehr 		Text by Michael Tippett, who in 1958 arranged the five spirituals for unaccompanied chorus. [6]
1942Two Madrigals for unaccompanied chorus: "The Source" and "The Windhover"SATB chorus17 July 1943:
London. Morley College Choir cond. Walter Bergmann 		Settings of poems by Edward Thomas and Gerard Manley Hopkins [6]
1943–44Motet: Plebs AngelicaDouble choir16 September 1944:
Canterbury. Fleet Street Choir cond. T. B. Lawrence		Commissioned by Canterbury Cathedral and dedicated to the cathedral's choir [6]
1944Motet: The Weeping BabeSoprano and SATB choir24 December 1944:
London. BBC broadcast, BBC Singers cond. Leslie Woodgate 		Setting of poem by Edith Sitwell. Dedicated "in memory of Bronwen Wilson" [1]
1956Four Songs from the British Isles: "Early One Morning"; "Lillibullero"; "Poortith cauld"; "Gwenllian"Unaccompanied SATB chorus6 July 1958:
Royaumont Abbey, France. London Bach Group cond. John Minchinton		Performed at the 1958 Royaumont Festival [2]
1956"Over The Sea To Skye"Unaccompanied SATB chorus31 July 2003:
Dublin. National Chamber Choir of Ireland conducted by Celso Antunes		Work lost after 1956, rediscovered 2002 [14]
1958Cantata: Crown of the YearSSA chorus; recorders or flutes, oboe, clarinet, cornet or trumpet, string quartet, percussion, handbells and piano25 July 1958:
Bristol. Badminton School choir and ensemble, cond. Michael Tippett		Composed for the Badminton School centenary [2]
1958Hymn tune: Wadhurst (setting for "Unto the hills around", by John Campbell)Written at the request of The Salvation Army [2]
1960"Music" (Shelley poem)Unison voices, strings and piano (or voices and strings)26 April 1960:
Tunbridge Wells. Choirs of East Sussex and West Kent Choral Festival, cond. Trevor Harvey		 [2]
1961Magnificat and Nunc DimittisSATB chorus and organ13 March 1962:
Cambridge. St John's College Chapel Choir cond. George Guest		Composed for the 450th anniversary of the foundation of St John's College, Cambridge [10]
1962–65The Vision of Saint AugustineBaritone solo, chorus and orchestra19 January 1966:
London. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, BBC Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett		Commissioned by BBC [10]
1965–70The Shires SuiteChorus and orchestra8 July 1970:
Cheltenham. Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett		Written for the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra [3]
1980–82Oratorio: The Mask of TimeSATB soloists, chorus and orchestra5 April 1984:
Boston. Faye Robinson, Yvonne Minton, Robert Tear, John Cheek, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Commissioned for 100th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra [11]

Vocal

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1943Cantata: Boyhood's End Tenor and piano5 June 1943:
London. Peter Pears (tenor), Benjamin Britten (piano)		Text by W. H. Hudson [6]
1950–51Song cycle: The Heart's AssuranceSolo high voice and piano7 May 1951:
London. Peter Pears (tenor) and Benjamin Britten (piano)		Setting of poems by Sidney Keyes and Alun Lewis. Dedicated "in memory of Francesca Allinson (1902–45)" [1]
1952Madrigal for five voices: "Dance, Clarion Air"Two sopranos, alto, tenor, bass1 June 1953:
London. Golden Age Singers and the Cambridge University Madrigal Society cond. Boris Ord 		Text by Christopher Fry. From A Garland for the Queen, a collection of madrigals by various composers, marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II [8]
1956Bonny at Morn (folksong arrangement)Unison voices, recorder accompanimentApril 1956Written for 10th anniversary of the International Pestalozzi Children's Village at Trogen [8]
1959Lullaby for Six VoicesSix voices, alternately for alto solo and small SSTTB choir31 January 1960:
London. Deller Consort 		Written for the Deller Consort's 10th anniversary [2]
1960Words for Music PerhapsSpeaking voice and chamber ensemble8 June 1960:
London. BBC broadcast, ensemble conducted by Michael Tippett		Poem by W. B. Yeats [10]
1961Songs for AchillesTenor and guitar7 July 1961:
Aldeburgh. Peter Pears (tenor), Julian Bream (guitar)		Sung at Aldeburgh Festival 1961 [10]
1962Songs for ArielSolo voice, piano or harpsichord21 September 1962:
London. Grayston Burgess and Virginia Pleasants		Adapted from The Tempest incidental music (1962); rearranged in 1964 for voice and small instrumental ensemble [10] [14]
1970Songs for DovTenor and small orchestra12 October 1970:
Cardiff. Gerard English, London Sinfonietta cond. Michael Tippett		Dedicated "to Eric Walter White" [3]
1988–90ByzantiumSoprano and orchestra11 April 1991:
Chicago. Faye Robinson, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Georg Solti 		[15]
1995Caliban's SongBaritone and piano26 November 1995:
London. BBC broadcast, David Barrell (bar), and Iain Burnside (piano)		Incorporated in Suite: The Tempest (1995) [16]
1995Suite: The TempestTenor, baritone, and ensemble14 December 1995:
London. Martyn Hill, tenor, David Barrell, baritone, Nash Ensemble cond. Andrew Parrot		Arranged by Meiron Bowen from The Tempest incidental music [17]

Chamber / Instrumental

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1934–35String Quartet No. 1Violin (2), viola, cello9 December 1935:
London. Brosa Quartet		Dedicated "to Wilfred Franks". Revised in 1943 [18]
1936–38Piano Sonata No. 1Piano11 November 1938:
London. Phyllis Sellick		Dedicated "to Francesca Allinson" [6]
1941–42String Quartet No. 2 in F-sharpViolin (2), viola, cello27 March 1943:
London. Zorian Quartet 		Dedicated "to Walter Bergmann" [6]
1945–46String Quartet No. 3Violin (2), viola, cello19 October 1946:
London. Zorian Quartet		Dedicated "to Mrs Mary Behrend" [1]
1946"Preludio al Vespro di Monteverdi"Solo organ5 July 1946:
London. Geraint Jones		Dedicated "for Geraint Jones" [1]
1954Four Inventions for recordersTreble and descant recorders1 August 1954:
London. Society of Recorder Players		 [8]
1955Sonata for Four HornsFrench horns20 December 1955:
London Dennis Brain Wind Ensemble 		[8]
1962Piano Sonata No. 2Piano3 September 1962:
Edinburgh. Margaret Kitchin		Dedicated "to Margaret Kitchin" [10]
1962PraeludiumBrass, bells and percussion14 November 1962:
London. BBC Symphony Orchestra (sections) cond. Antal Doráti 		Composed for 40th anniversary of the BBC [10]
1962–63"Mosaic"Wind bandSetting of first movement of Concerto for Orchestra (1962–63) [14]
1964Prelude, Recitative and AriaFlute, oboe and harpsichord or pianoFebruary 1964:
London. BBC broadcast, Orion Trio		Arrangement of Hermes’ aria "O Divine Music" from King Priam (1958–61) [14]
1971In Memoriam MagistriFlute, clarinet and string quartet17 June 1972:
London. London Sinfonietta cond. Elgar Howarth 		Commissioned by Tempo magazine in memory of Igor Stravinsky (died 6 April 1971) [3]
1972–73Piano Sonata No. 3Piano26 May 1973:
Bath. Paul Crossley 		Dedicated "to Anna Kallin" [3]
1977–78String Quartet No. 4Violin (2), viola, cello20 May 1979:
Bath. Lindsay String Quartet		Dedicated "to Michael Tillett, colleague and friend". For orchestral version see Water Out of Sunlight (1988) [11]
1982–83The Blue GuitarSolo guitar9 November 1983:
Pasadena, Ca. Julian Bream 		Dedicated "to the memory of Calvin Simmons (1950–82)" [11]
1983–84Piano Sonata No. 4Piano14 January 1985:
Los Angeles. Paul Crossley		Dedicated "to Michael Vyner" [19]
1985A Vision of the Island (adaptation of The Tempest incidental music)Speakers, four male voices, chamber ensemble25 October 1985:
London. BBC broadcast, members of Taverner Consort and Nash Ensemble cond. Andrew Parrott 		[19]
1990–91String Quartet No. 5Violin (2), viola, celloMay 1992:
Sheffield. Lindsay Quartet		 [20]
1991Prelude: AutumnOboe and piano [5]

Brass band

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesFirst performance detailsNotesRef.
1943Brass Fanfare No. 1Four horns, three trumpets, three trombones21 September 1943:
Northampton. Band of the Northamptonshire Regiment		Commissioned for the 30th anniversary of the consecration of St Matthew's Church, Northampton [6]
1953Brass Fanfares Nos 2 and 3No. 2 (four trumpets); No. 3 (three trumpets)6 June 1963:
St Ives, Cornwall. Trumpeters from RAF Mawgan 		[8]
1980Brass Fanfare No. 4: Wolf TrapThree trumpets, two trombones and tuba29 June 1980:
Wolf Trap, Virginia. Members of National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, cond. Hugh Wolff		 [11]
1983Festal Brass with BluesBrass band6 February 1984:
Hong Kong. Fairey Engineering Band. cond. Howard Williams 		[19]
1987Brass Band Fanfare No. 54 horns, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussionJune 1987:
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble cond. Elgar Howarth		Arranged by Meirion Bowen from The Mask of Time [5] [14]
1987TriumphConcert band: brass, woodwind and percussionCommissioned by The New England Conservatory, Baylor University, University of Michigan, Florida State University, Ohio State University and Cincinnati Conservatory [5] [14]

Juvenilia and unpublished works

The following works are listed by Ian Kemp as (a) works or fragments whose manuscripts have survived and (b) works whose manuscripts are lost but of which there is a record of public performance. [18]

Date of compositionTitleMusical forcesNotes
1926–27Arrangements: Bolsters (ballet); "The House that Jack Built"; "Cheerly Men"; "Yang-Tsi-Kiang"; "Three Jovial Huntsmen"Piano trio
1927The Undying FireBaritone, chorus and orchestraText by H. G. Wells
1927–28The Village Opera: opera in 3 actsVoices and orchestraAdaptation of 1729 work by Charles Johnson
1928Piano Sonata in C minorPiano
1928–30String Quartet in F
1928–30Concerto in DFlutes, oboe, horns and stringsManuscript lost
1929String Quartet in F minor
1929Piano variations for Dudley ParvinPiano
1929Ten variations on a Swiss folksong as harmonised by Beethoven Piano
1929Three songs: "Sea Love"; Afternoon Tea; Arracombe FairVoice and pianoPoems by Charlotte Mew. Music manuscripts of 'Sea Love' and 'Arracombe Fair' lost.
1930"Jockey to the Fair": variationsPiano
1930Overture and incidental music: Don JuanOrchestraPlay (1925) by James Elroy Flecker. Music manuscript lost
1930Psalm in C: "The Gateway"Chorus and orchestraText by Christopher Fry
1930Sonata in E minorFragments only
1930–31Symphonic MovementOrchestra
1932String Trio in B-flatOrchestral version 1932 (fragments only)
1933–34Symphony in B-flatOrchestra
1934 Robin Hood (opera)Voices and orchestraLibretto by Tippett, Ruth Pennyman and David Ayerst: Performed by an amateur cast at Boosbeck, Yorkshire, in 1934. Some music recycled into Birthday Suite of 1948. [21]
1935"Miners"Chorus and pianoText by Judy Wogan
1937A Song of Liberty: The Marriage of Heaven and HellChorus and orchestraPoem by William Blake
1938Robert of Sicily (Children's opera)Voices and orchestraText by Christopher Fry based on Longfellow [22]
1939Seven at one Stroke (Children's opera)Voices and orchestraText by Christopher Fry [22] based on "The Valiant Little Tailor", one of Grimms' Fairy Tales

References

Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kemp, p. 500
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kemp, p. 502
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kemp, p. 504
  4. ↑ Henahan, Donal (30 October 1989). "Time Traveling and Agoraphobia in Tippett Opera". The New York Times .
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tippett, Michael". The Oxford Dictionary of Music (online edition). 21 May 2013. ISBN   978-0-19-957810-8 . Retrieved 26 July 2013.(subscription required)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kemp, p. 499
  7. ↑ Reed, Cooke & Mitchell 2008, pp. 106–107.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kemp, p. 501
  9. ↑ Kemp, p. 373
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kemp, p. 503
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kemp, p. 505
  12. ↑ "Water Out Of Sunlight". Schott Music Shop. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  13. ↑ Mangum, John. "The Rose Lake". Los Angeles Philharmonic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Michael Tippett: List of Published Works" (PDF). Schott Music Shop. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Bowen, Meirion (1991). "Tippett's Byzantium". The Musical Times . 132 (1783): 438–440. doi:10.2307/965645. JSTOR   965645.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ Bowen 1997, p. 258.
  17. ↑ Bowen 1997, p. 259.
  18. 1 2 Kemp, p. 498
  19. 1 2 3 Kemp, p. 506
  20. ↑ "Obituary: Sir Michael Tippett OM". The Daily Telegraph . London. 10 January 1998. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011.
  21. ↑ Kemp, pp. 26–27
  22. 1 2 Kemp, p. 34

Sources

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