Clifford Abbott

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Clifford Abbott (* 1916 in Invercargill ; † April 1994 ) was a New Zealand composer .

Life

Clifford Abbott studied music and classical studies at Canterbury College . He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a music diploma in 1947 . In the same year he went to London to study at the Royal College od Music. However, he was rejected because of his age. From 1948 he took private composition lessons with Gordon Jacob and Benjamin Frankel in London . In 1950 he returned to New Zealand. While working in a factory in Christchurch , he studied contemporary composition techniques from 1950 to 1954. In 1954 he completed his first work, Symphony No. 1. In 1955, Lento , a tone poem, follows . Nikolai Malko performed it with various Australian and New Zealand orchestras. Other works were performed by the Sidney Symphony Orchestra . 1961 to 1963 he studied atonal methods in the works of Arnold Schönberg , Ernst Krenek and Josef Rufer . In his own compositions he did not use the atonal compositional method.

His orchestral work Martin Place Midday was recorded by EMI in 1965 , and the suites with the same name were performed for ABC under the direction of Stanford Robinson. An important composition was the Concerto No. 1 for flute and orchestra, which was performed and recorded by James Galway and the Sidney Symphony Orchestra under Louis Fremaux. For the following compositions he added electronic devices to the orchestra, such as Decision for orchestra (1972), Elements [elements] for orchestra (1976) and Conflict and Resolution [conflict and resolution] for orchestra (1978).

Abbott lectured and gave private tuition. He also wrote pieces for children and song books.

Works (selection)

The Australian Music Center owns recordings and sheet music of Clifford Abbott's works.

Works for flute and orchestra

  • Blue Mountain airs for flute, harp and orchestra. Recorded by Lisa Cartwright, flute, Leigha Dark, harp and the SBS Radio & Television Youth Orchestra
  • Concerto No. 1, 1966. Instrumentation: flute solo, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets in Bb, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 Player) and strings. Published by the Australian Music Center. Recorded by Geoffrey Collins, flute and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Patrick Thomas.
  • Concerto No. 2. Duration 12 min. Instrumentation: flute solo, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (3 players) and strings. Published by the Australian Music Center. Recorded by Adelaide Brown, flute and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Patrick Thomas.
  • Concerto No. 3 Changing moods, 1983. Instrumentation: flute solo, 2 piccolo flutes, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, tuba, and percussion Strings. Published by the Australian Music Center in 1983, revised in 1987. Recorded by Rohan Smith, flute and the SBS Radio & Television Youth Orchestra under Matthew Krel
  • Concerto No. 4, 1988. Instrumentation: flute solo, piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, percussion and strings. Published by the Australian Music Center in 1988. Recorded by Susanne Cowan, flute and the SBS Radio & Television Youth Orchestra under Robert Johnson
  • Nostalgia for flute solo and strings (violas and cellos only)

Works for orchestra

  • Symphony No. 2 Meditations, 1955. Instrumentation: piccolo, flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings.
  • Lento, composed in 1953. Instrumentation: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, celesta , strings. The premiere took place in July 1956 by the Morley Symphony Orchestra in Alexandra Hall in London, the Australian premiere on October 3, 1957 by the South Australian Symphony Orchestra under Nikolai Andrejewitsch Malko in Adelaide.
  • The Elements , ballet music, 1975. Performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Patrick Thomas.
  • Conflict and resolution . Instrumentation: 2 piccolo flutes, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, clarinet in Eb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in Bb, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, synthesizer and strings. Published by the Australian Music Center 1986. First performance: August 13, 2011 by the Palace Gate Orchestra. Direction: Hoshimi Sakai in the Verbrugghen Hall, University of Sydney .
  • Nine brilliant dances [nine brilliant dances], 1982. Instrumentation: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, 3 percussionists, harp and strings
  • Gala overture. Performed on August 13, 2011 by the Palace Gate Orchestra. Direction: Hoshimi Sakai in the Verbrugghen Hall, University of Sydney

Chamber music

  • Music for Flute and Piano [Music for Flute and Piano]
  • Musical impressions of Greece [Musical impressions of Greece] for piano
  • Solo concerto for flute and harp in three movements
  • Sonata for horn and piano

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Clifford Abbott: Represented Artist Profile. Australian Music Center, accessed June 6, 2017 .
  2. ↑ a b Success for composers . In: The Sydney Morning Herald . Sydney August 21, 1957, p. 6 ( newspapers.com [accessed September 13, 2018]).
  3. ↑ a b c d CD: Flute concertos & Blue Mountain airs / Clifford Abbott. (1997). Australian Music Center, accessed June 6, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Score: Concerto no.2 for flute and orchestra / Cliff Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed June 6, 2017 .
  5. ^ Concerto for flute and orchestra, no. 3: changing moods. OCLC WorldCat, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  6. ^ Concerto no. 4: for flute and orchestra. OCLC WorldCat, 1998, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  7. ^ Nostalgia: for solo flute and strings. OCLC WorldCat, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  8. ^ Meditations for orchestra: full orchestra by Clifford Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Meditations for orchestra: symphony no. 2. OCLC WorldCat, 2000, accessed on July 20, 2017 (English).
  10. ^ Lento. OCLC WorldCat, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  11. ^ Tone Poem to be performed in Adelaide . In: The Sydney Morning Herald . Sydney August 21, 1957, p. 6 (English, newspapers.com [accessed September 13, 2018]).
  12. ^ The Elements: Music for ballet by Clifford Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  13. ^ Score: Conflict and resolution: for orchestra / by Cliff Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  14. ↑ Gala Overture: orchestra by Clifford Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  15. ↑ Music for flute and piano: flute with piano by Clifford Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  16. ^ Music for flute and piano. OCLC WorldCat, 2002, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  17. ↑ Score: Musical impressions of Greece: for pianoforte / [Clifford Abbott]. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  18. ^ Musical impressions of Greece: for pianoforte. OCLC WorldCat, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  19. ↑ Score: Solo concerto for flute and harp: in three movements / C. Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  20. ↑ Solo concerto for flute & harp: in three movements. 2002, accessed July 20, 2017 .
  21. ↑ Score: Sonata for horn & piano / Clifford Abbott. Australian Music Center, accessed July 20, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Abbott, Clifford
BRIEF DESCRIPTION New Zealand composer
DATE OF BIRTH 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Invercargill , New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH April 1994