David Matthews (born 9 March 1943) is an English composer of mainly orchestral,

chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations * Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics * Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...

vocal The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production i ...

and piano works.

Life

Matthews was born in London into a family that was musical, though not formally trained; the desire to compose did not manifest itself until he was sixteen, and for a time he and his younger brother

Colin Matthews Colin Matthews, OBE (born 13 February 1946) is an English composer of contemporary classical music. Noted for his large-scale orchestral compositions, Matthews is also a prolific arranger of other composer's music, including works by Berlioz, ...

, also a composer, were each other's only teachers. The start of the 'Mahler boom' in the early 1960s, when the works of

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

began to enter the regular British repertoire for the first time, provided a tremendous creative impetus for both of them; but although they have sometimes since collaborated as arrangers (in orchestrating seven early Mahler songs, for instance) and as editors (in the published version of

Deryck Cooke Deryck Cooke (14 September 1919 – 26 October 1976) was a British musician, musicologist, broadcaster and Gustav Mahler expert. Life Cooke was born in Leicester to a poor, working-class family; his father died when he was a child, but his mother ...

's 'performing version' of the draft of Mahler's Tenth Symphony), as composers they have very much gone their separate ways. David Matthews read

Classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

Nottingham University The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

and afterwards, feeling himself still too much self-taught, studied composition with

Anthony Milner Anthony Francis Dominic Milner (13 May 1925 – 22 September 2002) was a British composer, teacher and conductor. Milner was born in Bristol, and educated at Douai School, Berkshire. He was awarded a bursary to attend the Royal College of Music ...

; he was also much helped by the advice and encouragement of fellow British composer

Nicholas Maw John Nicholas Maw (5 November 1935 – 19 May 2009) was a British composer. Among his works are the operas '' The Rising of the Moon'' (1970) and ''Sophie's Choice'' (2002). Biography Born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Maw was the son of Clarence ...

. Then, for three years, he was associated with

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

and the

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festival Th ...

. Not until he was 25 did he produce a work that satisfied him sufficiently to be pronounced his 'Opus 1'. He has largely avoided teaching, but to support his composing career has been employed in much editorial work and orchestration of

film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

. He has also written occasional articles and reviews for various music journals - the culmination of which activity being his 1980 book about

Sir Michael Tippett Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War. In his lifetime he was sometimes ranked with his contemporary Benjamin Britten ...

, a composer he admires enormously.

Characteristics

Tippett is indeed one of the strongest palpable influences on Matthews's own music, which could be characterised as a potent distillation and development of certain qualities that distinguish the Tippett, Britten and Maw generations of English composers - notably their ecstatic melodic writing and vibrantly expanded tonal harmony. But underlying this deceptively 'English' surface, and coming increasingly to the fore in recent works, is a concern for large-scale structure that connects rather to the central European tradition, back through Mahler and ultimately to

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

. Since the 1990s he has become increasingly interested in the

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

as a dance-form capable of bearing complex structures, and in some of his symphonies and string quartets a tango takes the place traditionally reserved for the

scherzo A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often ref ...

Output

Although he has written a fair amount of vocal music, notably a song-cycle, ''The Golden Kingdom'', on poems of

Kathleen Raine Kathleen Jessie Raine CBE (14 June 1908 – 6 July 2003) was a British poet, critic, and scholar, writing in particular on William Blake, W. B. Yeats and Thomas Taylor. Known for her interest in various forms of spirituality, most prominently P ...

and ''Cantiga'', a dramatic cantata on the tragic story of

Inez de Castro Inez is a feminine given name. It is the English spelling of the Spanish and Portuguese name Inés/Inês/Inez, the forms of the given name " Agnes". The name is pronounced as , , or . Agnes is a woman's given name, which derives from the Greek ...

, to a text by the novelist Maggie Hemingway (who was Matthews's partner for the last ten years of her life), Matthews's output as a whole is centred on the classical instrumental and orchestral forms. His series of (to date) fifteen string quartets is one of the most distinguished that any composer has essayed in recent years. To date he has written ten symphonies - nine of which have been commercially recorded. They, and an accompanying cluster of works such as ''September Music'', the ''Serenade'', two violin concertos, concertos for cello, for piano, and for oboe, the symphonic poems ''In the Dark Time'', ''The Music of Dawn'', ''A Vision and a Journey'' and the monumental orchestral ''Chaconne'' (inspired by a poem of

Geoffrey Hill Sir Geoffrey William Hill, FRSL (18 June 1932 – 30 June 2016) was an English poet, professor emeritus of English literature and religion, and former co-director of the Editorial Institute, at Boston University. Hill has been considered to be ...

), show that he can handle large and small orchestras with skill. Matthews celebrated his 70th birthday in 2013. The occasion was marked by: a Nash Ensemble portrait concert at the Wigmore Hall – which included the premiere of ''A Blackbird Sang'', a quartet for flute and strings; a major new symphonic poem, ''A Vision of the Sea'', premiered at the Proms by the BBC Philharmonic; a new concerto for violin, viola and strings co-commissioned by the Presteigne and Cheltenham Festivals; two piano pieces for William Howard performed at the Spitalfields Festival; and the release of two recordings – a disc of piano music for Toccata Classics featuring pianist Laura Mikkola, and a Dutton disc of Matthews’ Symphony No. 7 (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/John Carewe) and ''Vespers'' for Choir and Orchestra (BSO/

The Bach Choir The Bach Choir is a large independent musical organisation founded in London, England in 1876 to give the first performance of J. S. Bach's ''Mass in B minor'' in Britain. The choir has around 240 active members. Directed by David Hill MBE (Yal ...

/David Hill)

List of works

Symphonies

* Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 (1975–78, rev. 2007) * Symphony No. 2, Op. 17, (1976–79) * Symphony No. 3, Op. 37 (1983–85) * Symphony No. 4, Op. 51 (1989–90) * Sinfonia, Op. 67 (1995–96) * Symphony No. 5, Op. 78 (1998–99) * Symphony No. 6, Op. 100 (2003–07) * Symphony No. 7, Op. 109 (2008–09) * Symphony No. 8, Op. 131 (2014) * Symphony No. 9, Op. 140 (2016) * Symphony No.10, ''Regeneration'', Op.157 (2020-2021)

Orchestral

* ''Little Concerto'', Op. 6, small orchestra (1970–71) * ''Elegy'', small orchestra, Op. 16a (1977), transcription of third movement, String Quartet No. 2) * ''Sonata Canonica'', small orchestra, Op. 19 (1978–79) * ''September Music'', Op. 24 (1979–80) * ''White Nights'', fantasia for violin and orchestra (or piano), Op. 26 (1980) * ''The National Anthem Strikes Back'' (1980) * ''Introit'' for two trumpets and strings, Op. 28 (1981) * ''Serenade'' for small orchestra, Op. 29 (1982) * Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 31 (1982–83) * ''In the Dark Time'', symphonic poem, Op. 38 (1984–85) * Variations on Bach's Chorale 'Die Nacht ist Kommen', 24 or more strings, Op. 40 (1986) * ''Chaconne'' for orchestra Op. 43 (1986–87) * ''The Music of Dawn'', symphonic poem, Op. 50 (1989–90) * ''Romanza'' for cello and orchestra, Op. 49 (1990) * ''Scherzo Capriccioso'', Op. 52 (1990) * ''Capriccio'' for two French horns and strings, Op. 54 (1991) * Oboe Concerto, Op. 57 (1991–92) * ''From Sea to Sky'', overture, Op. 59 (1992) * ''A Vision and a Journey'', symphonic fantasy, Op. 60 (1992–93, rev. 1996–97) * ''Adagio for strings'', Op. 56b (1995) (from String Quartet No 6) * ''A Song and Dance Sketchbook'', Op. 65a (1996) (also for chamber ensemble) * ''Burnham Wick'' Op. 73 (1997) * Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 74 (1997–98) * ''Two Pieces for string orchestra'', Op. 70 (1996–2000) * ''After Sunrise'', Op. 82 (2000–01) * ''Aubade, Op. 83 (2000–01) * ''Winter Remembered'', for viola and strings (or piano), Op. 86 (2001) * Cello Concerto ''Concerto in Azzurro'', Op. 87 (2000–02) * ''Away for Rio'' (2002) * ''Total Tango'' for strings Op. 80a (2003) (from String Quartet No. 9, Op. 80) *''Y Deryn Du'' (''The Blackbird'') for strings (2004) * ''Fanfares and Flowers'' for symphonic band, Op. 103 (2005–06) * ''Goodnight Song'' for string orchestra, Op. 102a (2006) (version of ''Darkness Draws In'' for viola) * Concerto for piano and strings, Op. 111 (2010) * ''Three Birds and a Farewell'' for strings, Op. 118 (2004–11) * ''Romanza'' for violin and strings (or piano) , Op. 119 (2011–12) * Double Concerto, Op. 122 (2013) * ''A Vision of the Sea'', Op. 125 (2013)

Trios, Quartets and Quintets

* String Quartet No. 1, Op. 4 (1969–70, rev. 1980) * String Quartet No. 2, Op. 16 (1974–76) * String Quartet No. 3, Op. 18 (1977–78) * String Quartet No. 4, Op. 27 (1981) * Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 34 (1983) * Clarinet Quartet, Op. 35 (1984) * String Quartet No. 5, Op. 36 (1984–85) * String Trio No. 1, Op. 48 (1989) * String Quartet No. 6, Op. 56 (1990–91) * Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 61 (1993–94) * String Quartet No. 7, for tenor and string quartet, texts

e.e. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

D.H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

, and the Song of Songs, Op. 64 (1994) * String Quartet No. 8, Op. 75 (1998) * String Quartet No. 9, Op. 80 (2000) * String Quartet No. 10, Op. 84 (2000–01) * String Trio No. 2, Op. 89 (2003) * Piano Quintet, Op. 92 (2004) * Piano Trio No. 3, Op. 97 (2005) * String Quartet No. 11, Op. 108 (2007–08) * String Quartet No. 12, Op. 114 (2004–10) * Horn Quintet, Op. 115 (2010) * String Quartet No 13, Op. 136 (2014-2015) * String Quartet No 14, Op 145 (2016-2017) * String Quartet No 15, Op 159 (2021)

Chamber

* ''Mirror Canon'' for string quartet (1963) * Two Fantasias, Op. 5, viola and cello (1970–71) * Violin Sonatina, Op. 8 (1974) * ''Music of Evening'', guitar and chamber ensemble, Op. 11 (1976) *''Songs and Dances of Mourning'' for cello, Op. 12 (1976) * ''Toccatas and Pastorals'', for two oboes, bassoon, harpsichord, Op. 13 (1976) * Cantares, guitar enemble and string quartet (1980) (collaboration with

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...

) * ''Duet Variations'' for flute (or violin) and piano, Op. 30 (1982) * ''Winter Journey'', for violin (or viola), Op. 32 (1982–83) * ''The Burke and Wills Waltzes'', chamber ensemble (1985) (concert suite from film score ''

Burke & Wills ''Burke & Wills'' is a 1985 Australian adventure film directed by Graeme Clifford, starring Jack Thompson and Nigel Havers. The film is based on the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition across Australia. The film follows Robert O'Hara Burke and ...

'', collaboration with Peter Sculthorpe) * ''Three Studies'' for violin, Op. 39 (1985) * ''Aria'' for violin, piano, Op. 41 (1986) * ''The Flaying of Marsyas'', concertino for oboe and string quartet, Op. 42 (1986–87) * ''Danny's Dance'' for violin and viola (1989) * ''Long Lion Days'' for cello, piano, Op. 55 (1991–93) * ''Montana Taylor's Blues'' for oboe and piano, Op. 57a (1993) (from the Oboe Concerto) * ''A Little Threnody'', English horn (or bassoon), Op. 63 (1993) * ''Chant'' for viola (1997) *''Y Deryn Du'' (''The Blackbird'') for violin, viola, cello, piano (1998) * ''Pieces of Seven'' for flute and piano (1998) * ''Canon for Michael'', string quartet (1998) * ''Tango Flageoletto'' for cello and piano (1999) * ''Three Roman Miniatures'' for clarinet, Op. 81 (1999–2000) * ''Sarabande'' for flute and piano (2000) * ''Eight Duos'' for two violins, Op. 79 (1999–2001) * ''Fifteen Fugues'' for violin, Op. 88 (1999–2002) * ''Pastoral'' for violin and piano (2002) * ''Not Farewell'' for viola/violin (2003) * ''Dialectique cordiale'' for violin, cello (2003) * ''Little Serenade'' for string quartet, Op. 93 (2004) * ''The Two Cuckoos'' for alto recorder (2004) * ''Chaconne pour la ville de St.-Nazaire'' for violin, cello (2004) * ''Marius's Dance'' for two violins (2005) * ''In the Dark Wood'' for clarinet and piano (2005) * ''Darkness Draws In'' for viola, Op. 102 (2005) * ''Tango di Boda'' for guitar, violin, double bass, piano, accordion (2006) * ''Adonis'' for violin, piano, Op. 105 (2007) * ''Journeying Songs'' for cello, Op. 95 (2004–08) * ''A Blackbird Sang'' for flute, violin, viola, cello, Op. 121 (2013) * ''Duo Sonata'' for violin, cello, Op. 123 (2013)

Keyboard

* ''Fugue on BACH'', piano four hands (1964) * Etude, Op. 21 (1978) * Three Preludes, Op. 15 (1976–79, rev. 2005) * Piano Sonata, Op. 47 (1989) * ''One to Tango'', Op. 51d (1993) (from fourth movement, Symphony No. 4, Op. 51) * ''Doctor Holman, His Galiard'' for harpsichord (1996) * ''Four Waltzes'' for piano, four hands (1996) * ''Variations for piano'', Op. 72 (1997) * ''Caution on Mud Road'' for piano, four hands (1999) (collaboration with Jean Hasse) * ''Invocation'' for organ (2000) * ''Two Amorous Duets'' for piano, four hands (2000) * ''Band of Angels'' for organ, Op. 85 (2001) * ''Three Fugues'', Op. 88a (2001–02) (from ''Fifteen Fugues'', Op. 88) * ''A Lament'' (2002) * ''Come down O Love Divine'' for organ (2004) * ''75 Steps up Temple Fortune Hill'' (2005) * ''Jenifer Chorale for piano, 7/8 players (2005) * ''Variation on 'Cromer for organ (2005) * ''One'' (2006) * ''Two Dionysus Dithyrambs'', Op. 94 (2004–07) * ''Four Portraits'', Op. 124 (2013)

Choral

* ''Christ is Born of Maiden Fair'' for mixed chorus (1968) * ''Coventry Carol'' for mixed chorus (1969) * ''Stars'', cantata for chorus and orchestra, text

Peter Holman Peter Kenneth Holman MBE (born 19 October 1946, London) is an English conductor and musicologist best known for reviving the music of Purcell and his English contemporaries. Holman, with the ensemble The Parley of Instruments made many of the ex ...

), Op. 3 (1970) * ''Four Hymns'', mixed chorus, Op. 20 (1972–78) * ''The Company of Lovers'', five songs for mixed chorus, texts by David Campbell,

Judith Wright Judith Arundell Wright (31 May 191525 June 2000) was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award. Biography Judith Wright was born in Armidale, New Sou ...

, Op. 25 (1980) * ''The Rose Carol'' for mixed chorus (1986) * ''The Ship of Death'' for eight mixed voices, text by D. H. Lawrence, Op. 46 (1988–89) *''Fanfare for the Queen Mother'' for mixed chorus (1990) * ''Salve Regina'' for mixed chorus (1991, rev. 2005) * ''Good Cheer, Piers'' for mixed chorus (1993) * ''Moments of Vision'' for mixed chorus, Op. 68 (1978–95) * ''Vespers'' for soloists, chorus and orchestra, texts by

Rilke René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926), shortened to Rainer Maria Rilke (), was an Austrian poet and novelist. He has been acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet, and is widely recogni ...

, Op. 66 (1993–96) * ''Hurrahing in Harvest'' for six mixed voices, text by

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...

), Op. 71 (1997) * ''The Doorway of the Dawn'' for mixed chorus, Op. 76 (1999) * ''Psalm 23'' for mixed chorus and organ, Op. 90 (2003) * ''Æquam memento'' for mixed chorus, text

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

, Op. 91 (2003–04) * ''Two Choruses'' for mixed chorus, text by

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...

), Op. 101 (2005) * ''The Key of the Kingdom'' for mixed chorus and organ, Op. 106 (2008) * ''Fortune's Wheel'' for mix chorus, percussion and strings, text by

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480 – 524 AD), was a Roman senator, consul, ''magister officiorum'', historian, and philosopher of the Early Middle Ages. He was a central figure in the tr ...

), Op. 120 (2011–12) * ''Two Poems of John Clare'' for children's chorus, piano, Op. 127 (2013)

Vocal

* ''Three Songs'' for baritone and piano, text Alun Lewis, Op. 2 (1969–70) * ''Three songs'' for soprano and orchestra, texts

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poetry, French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticis ...

, Op. 1, (1968–71) * ''Upon Time'' four songs for medium voice and piano, texts by

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...

, Robert Herrick,

Giacomo Leopardi Count Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi (, ; 29 June 1798 – 14 June 1837) was an Italian philosopher, poet, essayist, and philologist. He is considered the greatest Italian poet of the nineteenth century and one of ...

, Op. 7 (1970–71) * ''The Book of Hours'', six songs for mezzo-soprano and piano, text Rilke, Op. 10 (1975, rev. 1999) * ''Eclogue'' for soprano and chamber ensemble, text by

Henry Vaughan Henry Vaughan (17 April 1621 – 23 April 1695) was a Welsh metaphysical poet, author and translator writing in English, and a medical physician. His religious poetry appeared in ''Silex Scintillans'' in 1650, with a second part in 1655.''Oxfo ...

, Op. 14 (1976) * ''Ehmals und Jetzt'', six songs for soprano and piano, texts by Hugo von Hofmannsthal,

Friedrich Hölderlin Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (, ; ; 20 March 1770 – 7 June 1843) was a German poet and philosopher. Described by Norbert von Hellingrath as "the most German of Germans", Hölderlin was a key figure of German Romanticism. Part ...

, Op. 22 (1972–79) * ''Four Yeats Songs'' for tenor and piano, Op. 23 (1976–79) * ''A Cloud Sequence'' for speaker and ensemble, texts by Shelley,

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

, Gerald Manley Hopkins, James Thomson,

Rupert Brooke Rupert Chawner Brooke (3 August 1887 – 23 April 1915)The date of Brooke's death and burial under the Julian calendar that applied in Greece at the time was 10 April. The Julian calendar was 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. was an En ...

(1979) * ''The Golden Kingdom'' song-cycle for soprano and piano, texts by Shelley,

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

, high voice, piano, Op. 33 (1979–83) * ''Cantiga'' for soprano and orchestra, text by Maggie Hemingway, Op. 45 (1987–88) * ''Marina'' for baritone, basset horn, viola and piano, text by T. S. Eliot, Op. 44 (1988) * ''From Coastal Stations'' six songs for medium voice and piano, text by Maggie Hemingway, Op. 53 (1990–91) * ''The Sleeping Lord'' for soprano, flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet, text by David Jones, Op. 58 (1992) * ''Pride'' for soprano, alto, tenor and string quartet, text by Maggie Hemingway (1993) * ''A Congress of Passions'', cantata for medium voice, oboe and piano, text by

Sappho Sappho (; el, Σαπφώ ''Sapphō'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her Greek lyric, lyric poetry, written to be sung while ...

, Op. 62 (1993–94) * ''Two Housman Songs'' for soprano and string quartet, Op. 69 (1996) * ''Winter Passions'' for baritone, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, text by

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

, Op. 77 (1999) * ''Voyages'', four songs for medium voice, piano and strings, texts by Charles Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, Op. 96 (2003–04) * ''Movement of Autumn'' five songs for soprano and small orchestra, text by

Vernon Watkins Vernon Phillips Watkins (27 June 1906 – 8 October 1967) was a Welsh poet and translator. His headmaster at Repton was Geoffrey Fisher, who became Archbishop of Canterbury. Despite his parents being Nonconformists, Watkins' school experienc ...

, Op. 98 (2003–05) *''That Very Breath'' for mezzo-soprano, violin, viola, cello, text by Beverley Ashill, Op. 99 (2005) * ''Terrible Beauty'' for medium voice, flute, clarinet, harp and string quartet, texts by

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, Op. 104 (2006–07) * ''One Foot in Eden'' for tenor, piano and string quartet, text by

Edwin Muir Edwin Muir CBE (15 May 1887 – 3 January 1959) was a Scottish poet, novelist and translator. Born on a farm in Deerness, a parish of Orkney, Scotland, he is remembered for his deeply felt and vivid poetry written in plain language and wit ...

, Op. 107 (2008) * ''Happiness'' for high voice and recorder, texts by

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massach ...

, Edward Thomas,

Carl Sandburg Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...

, D. H. Lawrence, Op. 110 (2009) * ''Actæon'', for speaker, tenor saxophone, trumpet, violin and piano (text by

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

tr.

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

, Op. 113 (2009–10) * ''Lebensregeln'' for high voice, piano, text by

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

, Op. 116 (2002–11) * ''Three Dunwich Songs'' for high voice and piano, Op. 126, (2008–13)

Books

*''Michael Tippett, An Introductory Study'',

Faber & Faber Faber and Faber Limited, usually abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, Margaret Storey, William Golding, Samuel B ...

, 1980. *''Landscape into Sound'' (the 1st

Peter Fuller Peter Michael Fuller (31 August 1947 – 28 April 1990) was a British art critic and magazine editor. Life Fuller was born in Damascus, Syria, and educated at Epsom College and Peterhouse, Cambridge.Dennis Griffiths ''The Encyclopedia of th ...

Memorial Lecture), Claridge Press, 1992 *''Britten'',

Haus Publishing Haus Publishing is a London-based publishing company which was established in 2002. History Haus Publishing was founded in 2002 by Barbara Schwepcke, the former publisher of '' Prospect'' magazine. The publisher has a book shop, BookHaus, on th ...

, 2003 * Hyde, Thomas (ed.): ''David Matthews: Essays, Tributes and Criticism'', Plumbago Books and Arts, 2014

References

External links

David Matthews' website
* ttp://www.fabermusic.com/composers/david-matthews Faber Music website {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, David 1943 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century classical composers 21st-century English composers 21st-century British male musicians English classical composers English male classical composers Alumni of the University of Nottingham