|
Howard While Skempton (born 31 October 1947) is an English composer, pianist, and accordionist. Since the late 1960s, when he helped to organise the Scratch Orchestra, he has been associated with the English school of experimental music. Skempton's work is characterised by stripped-down, essentials-only choice of materials, absence of formal development and a strong emphasis on melody. The musicologist Hermann-Christoph Müller has described Skempton's music as "the emancipation of the consonance".〔Müller 1998.〕 == Life == Skempton was born in Chester and studied at Birkenhead School and Ealing Technical College.〔Potter, Grove.〕 He started composing before 1967, but that year he moved to London and began taking private lessons in composition from Cornelius Cardew. In 1968 Skempton joined Cardew's experimental music class at Morley College, where in spring 1969 Cardew, Skempton and Michael Parsons organised the Scratch Orchestra. This ensemble, which had open membership, was dedicated to performing experimental contemporary music by composers such as La Monte Young, John Cage and Terry Riley, as well as by members of the orchestra itself. One of Skempton's early works, ''Drum No. 1'' (1969), became one of the "most useful and satisfying" pieces in the repertory of the Scratch Orchestra.〔Parsons 1980, 13.〕 Through the Scratch Orchestra Skempton met numerous composers and performers, including Christopher Hobbs, John White and various Systems artists, and the pianist John Tilbury. However, tensions arose during the politicising of the Scratch Orchestra in the early 1970s, when Cardew and a number of other important members pushed the ensemble in a Maoist direction. Skempton, Hobbs, Parsons, White and many others refused to be associated with this political line, and the break-up of the Orchestra was accompanied by (in Parsons's words) "a split between its 'political' and 'experimental' factions".〔(Michael Parsons. Note to ''Piece For Cello and Accordion'' ). From LMJ 11 CD COMPANION, ''Not Necessarily "English Music" Contributors' Notes''.〕 Since 1971 Skempton has been working as a music editor, performer (of his own compositions, on piano and accordion), and teacher.〔 He now teaches composition at the Birmingham Conservatoire.〔(Birmingham Conservatoire: Staff: Composition )〕 In 1974 Skempton and Michael Parsons formed a duo to perform their own works.〔 The 1980s saw an increase of interest in Skempton's music, which led to more commissions and permitted him to compose more for larger forces.〔Parsons 1987, 16.〕 ''Lento'', an orchestral work composed in late 1991, became one of Skempton's most widely recognised pieces. In the 1990s important recordings of his works started appearing, such as a disc of piano music recorded by his old friend and former Scratch Orchestra colleague John Tilbury, released on Sony Classical in 1996,〔MacDonald 1996.〕 and ''Surface Tension'', a recording of miscellaneous works released on Mode Records.〔(Howard Skempton: Surface Tension )〕 Skempton was the winner in the Chamber Scale Composition category at the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards in 2005 for his string quartet ''Tendrils'' (2004).〔(2005 RPS Music Awards Winners )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Howard Skempton」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|