William Mathias

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William James Mathias (born November 1, 1934 in Whitland , Carmarthenshire , † July 29, 1992 in Menai Bridge , Anglesey ) was a Welsh composer.

Life

William Mathias began playing the piano at an early age and made his first attempts at composition. After studying at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth , he moved to the Royal Academy of Music in 1956 , where Lennox Berkeley was his teacher. In 1965 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy. In 1968 Mathias received the Arnold Bax Society Prize, and in 1981 he received the John Edwards Memorial Award. As a professor of music, he headed the Department of Music at the University of Wales at Bangor between 1970 and 1988 . In addition to his compositional work, he was also active as a conductor and pianist. In 1972 he founded the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph , which he directed until his death in 1992. His grave is at St. Asaph Cathedral.

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The compositional work of William Mathias includes not only an opera ( The Servants , 1980), among others, three symphonies, concertos (including 3 piano concertos), chamber music and numerous compositions for organ. Many of his works were written for the Anglican liturgy; The anthem Let the people praise Thee, O God , composed in 1981 for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana , achieved particular fame .

Mathias' music is tonal and shows influences from Bartók , Hindemith , Stravinsky and Tippett , among others .

Catalog raisonné (incomplete)

Choral works

  • Festival Te Deum in C Major
  • Bell Carol
  • Sweet was the song
  • A Babe is Born, Op. 55 (1971)
  • Ave Rex op.45
  • Ceremony after a Fire Raid
  • A May Magnificat
  • Salvator Mundi
  • Jonah
  • Lear songs
  • Lux Aeterna
  • Riddles
  • A Royal Garland
  • Shakespeare songs
  • This Worlde's Joie
  • Three Medieval Lyrics
  • Sir Christemas
  • Let the People Praise Thee, O God

Operas

  • The Servants (1980)

Orchestral works

  • Divertimento for String Orchestra, op.7 (1958)
  • Dance Overture, op.16 (1961)
  • Invocation and Dance, op.17 (1961)
  • Serenade for Small Orchestra, op.18 (1963)
  • Prelude, Aria and Finale for String Orchestra, op.25 (1964)
  • Sinfonietta, op.34 (1967)
  • Celtic Dances, op.60 (1972)
  • Laudi, op.62 (1973)
  • Vistas, op.69 (1975)
  • Symphony No. 2, op.90 (Summer Music)
  • Symphony No. 3 (1991)

Solo concerts

  • Horn Concerto, op.93
  • Clarinet Concerto, op.68
  • Harp Concerto, op.50 (1970)
  • Organ Concerto (1984)
  • Oboe Concerto (1989)
  • Piano Concerto No.1, op.2
  • Piano Concerto No.2, op.13
  • Piano Concerto No.3, op. 40 (1968)
  • Violin Concerto (1992)

Chamber music

  • Improvisations for Harp op.10
  • Zodiac Trio for flute, viola and harp (1976)
  • Wind quintet op.22 (1963)
  • Sonatina for flute and piano op.98 (1953)
  • Clarinet Sonatina (1957)

Organ music

  • Antiphonies
  • Berceuse
  • Carillon
  • Canzonetta op. 78, no. 2
  • Chorale (1966)
  • fanfare
  • Fantasy for Organ
  • Fenestra
  • Invocations
  • Jubilate op.67
  • partita
  • Postlude (1962)
  • Processional op.96
  • Recessional (1964)
  • Toccata Giocosa op. 36, no. 2 (1967)
  • Variations on a Hymn Tune

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Mathias, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mathias, William James (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Welsh composer
DATE OF BIRTH November 1, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Whitland , Carmarthenshire
DATE OF DEATH July 29, 1992
Place of death Menai Bridge , Anglesey