List of compositions by Harrison Birtwistle

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This is a list of compositions by Harrison Birtwistle (born 1934), a British composer of contemporary classical music. Birtwistle's music was published by Universal Edition until 1994, and since then by Boosey & Hawkes.

1 Opera and other dramatised works
2 Orchestra
3 Chamber Ensemble without voices
4 Instrumental groups of 5 or fewer performers, without voices
5 Vocal Music (with and without instruments)
6 Electronic Music
7 Film scores
8 References

[edit] Opera and other dramatised works

Punch and Judy, A tragical comedy or comical tragedy in 1 act (1966–67)
Down by the Greenwood Side, A Dramatic Pastoral (1968–69)
Pulse Field, Frames, Pulse and Interruptions — improvised ballet, for 6 dancers and 9 musicians (1977)
Bow Down, Improvised music theatre, for 5 actors and 4 musicians (1977)
The Mask of Orpheus, Lyric Tragedy in 3 acts (1973–84)
Yan Tan Tethera, A Mechanical Pastoral (1984)
Gawain, Opera in 2 acts, (1990–91, revised 1994 & 1999)
The Second Mrs Kong, Opera in 2 acts (1993–94)
The Last Supper, Opera in 1 act (1998–1999)
The Io Passion, Chamber Opera (2003)
The Minotaur, Opera (2005–07)

[edit] Orchestra

Chorales, for orchestra (1960–63)
Nomos, for 4 amplified instruments and orchestra (1967–68)
The Triumph of Time, for orchestra (1971–72)
Melencolia I, for clarinet, harp and 2 string orchestras (1976)
Earth Dances, for orchestra (1985–86)
Endless Parade, for trumpet, strings and vibraphone (1986–87)
Machaut à ma manière, for orchestra (1988)
Gawain's Journey, for orchestra (1991)
Antiphonies, for piano and orchestra (1992)
The Cry of Anubis, for tuba and orchestra (1994)
Panic, for alto saxophone, jazz drum kit and orchestra (1995)
Exody, for orchestra (1997)
Sonance Severance 2000, for orchestra (1999)
The Shadow of Night, for orchestra (2001)
Night’s Black Bird, for orchestra (2004)

[edit] Chamber Ensemble without voices

The World is Discovered, 6 Instrumental Movements after Heinrich Isaac, for chamber ensemble (1961)
3 Movements with Fanfares, for chamber orchestra (1964)
Tragoedia, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, harp and string quartet (1965)
Chorale from a Toy Shop, two versions for different chamber ensembles (1967)
Verses for Ensembles, for 3 instrumental ensembles (1968–69)
Some Petals from my Twickenham Herbarium, for piccolo, clarinet in Bb, glockenspiel, piano, violin and violoncello (1969)
An Imaginary Landscape, for brass, percussion and double basses (1971)
Tombeau in memoriam Igor Stravinsky, for flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet (1971)
Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum, for chamber ensemble or orchestra (1977–1978)
Grimethorpe Aria, for brass band (1973)
For O, for O, the Hobby-Horse is Forgot, Ceremony, for 6 percussionists (1976)
Silbury Air, for chamber ensemble (1977)
Secret Theatre, for chamber ensemble (1984)
Salford Toccata, for brass band (1989)
Ritual Fragment, for chamber orchestra (1990)
Fanfare for Glyndebourne, for brass ensemble and timpani (1994)
Slow Frieze, for piano and ensemble (1996)
Bach Measures, for chamber ensemble (1996)
Placid Mobile, for 36 trumpets (1998)
The Silk House Tattoo, for two trumpets and side drums (1998)
Sonance 2000, for brass ensemble (1999)
17 Tate Riffs, for ensemble (2000)
Fanfare, for brass and percussion (2001)
Tenebrae David, for brass ensemble (2001)
Theseus Game, for large ensemble with two conductors (2002)
The Io Passion: Nocturnes, for clarinet and string quartet (2004)
Cantus Iambeus, for thirteen instruments (2005)

[edit] Instrumental groups of 5 or fewer performers, without voices

Antiphonies from the Moonkeeper, for trumpet (unpublished)
Berceuse de Jeanne, for piano (unpublished)
Refrains and Choruses, for wind quintet (1957)
Précis, for piano (1960)
Verses, for clarinet and piano (1965)
Linoi, for clarinet in A and piano (1968)
8 Lessons for Keyboards (unpublished; premiered in 1970)
Dinah and Nick's Love Song, for 3 melody instruments and harp (1970)
Sad Song, for piano (1971)
Clarinet Quintet, for clarinet and string quartet (1980)
Pulse Sampler, for oboe and claves (1981)
Duets for Storab, for 2 flutes (1983)
Hector's Dawn, for piano (1987)
An Interrupted Endless Melody, for oboe and piano (1991, B&H)
9 Movements, for string quartet (1991–1996)
5 Distances for 5 Instruments, for flute, oboe, clarinet in B flat, bassoon and horn in F (1992)
Hoquetus Petrus, for two flutes and piccolo trumpet (1995)
Harrison’s Clocks, for piano (1997–98)
Ostinato with Melody, for piano (2000)
The Axe Manual, for piano and percussion (2000)
Betty Freedman: Her Tango, for piano (2000)
Saraband, for piano (2001)
Crowd, for solo harp (2005)

[edit] Vocal Music (with and without instruments)

Monody for Corpus Christi, for soprano, flute, violin and horn (1959)
Entr'actes and Sappho Fragments, for soprano and instruments (1964)
Carmen Paschale, Motet, for choir and organ (1965)
Ring a Dumb Carillon, for soprano (+ susp cyms), clarinet in Bb and percussion (1964–65)
Cantata, for soprano and instruments (1969)
Nenia: The Death of Orpheus, for soprano, 3 bass clarinets, crotales and piano (1970)
Meridian, for mmezzosoprano, 2 three-part women's’ choirs and instruments (1970–71)
Prologue, for tenor and 7 instruments (1971)
La Plage: 8 Arias of Remembrance, for soprano and 5 instruments (1972)
The Fields of Sorrow, for 2 sopranos, 8-part choir and instruments (1972)
Epilogue, "Full fathom five", for baritone, horn, 4 trombones and 6 tam-tam (1972)
Narration: A Description of the Passing of a Year, for a cappella chorus (1963)
… agm …, for 16 voices and 3 instrumental ensembles (1978–1979)
On the Sheer Threshold of the Night, Madrigal, for 4 soloists und 12-voice choir (1980)
Deowa, for soprano and clarinet in Bb (1983)
Songs by Myself, for soprano and chamber ensemble (1984)
Words Overheard, for soprano and chamber orchestra (1985)
4 Songs of Autumn, for soprano and string quartet (1988)
An die Musik', for soprano and chamber ensemble (1988)
4 Poems by Jaan Kaplinski, for soprano and 13 instruments (1991)
9 Settings of Celan (may be performed as a set or individually) for soprano, 2 clarinets, viola, violoncello and contrabass
9 Settings of Lorine Niedecker, for soprano and instrument, not piano (1998–2000)
Love Cries, from the opera The Second Mrs. Kong, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and orchestra (1999)
Three Latin Motets, from The Last Supper, for unaccompanied choir (1999)
The Woman and the Hare, for soprano, reciter and ensemble (1999)
The Gleam, Christmas Carol, for unaccompanied choir (2003)
The Ring Dance of the Nazarene, for baritone, tombak, choir and ensemble (2003)
3 Arias by Bach, for soprano, countertenor and chamber ensemble (2003–04)
26 Orpheus Elegies, for oboe, harp and countertenor (2003–04)
3 Brendel Settings, for baritone and orchestra (2000–04)
Today Too, for tenor, flute and guitar (2004)
Neruda Madrigals, for chorus and ensemble (2004–05)
The Mouse Felt…, for baritone and piano (2005)
Song of Myself, for baritone, double bass and percussion (2006)