Douglas Weiland
Encyclopedia
Douglas Weiland is a modern-classical composer
.
Formerly a violin
ist - 2 years English Chamber Orchestra
, 7 years Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
, and 5 years as a founder member of the Australian Quartet
(1985–1990), he has been a full-time composer since 1990.
Weiland has produced numerous and acclaimed chamber
, orchestral and choral works, many commissioned for and performed by some of the world’s greatest artists: Sir Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
, Altenberg Trio Wien
, William Hennessy’s
Australian Quartet
, Marie-Noëlle Kendall, Andrew Marriner
, Kenneth Sillito, Steven Isserlis
, and the young Hamer Quartet.
Three early major chamber
works (1985–1988) were commissioned for William Hennessy’s
newly formed Australian Quartet
, and announced Weiland as a new voice, categorised by modern-classical hall-marks – aspiring to the achievements of Bartók, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Tippett - as distinct from avant-garde
.
Weiland was Composer-in-Residence for the Norfolk and Norwich Music Club from 2003 - 2007.
"When, early this century, we commissioned Douglas Weiland to write a concerto for the clarinet, I was already familiar with his work. The fact that it turned out to be a masterpiece for the instrument was an unsurprising joy and we knew that Douglas had added a significant major opus to the clarinet repertoire." Sir Neville Marriner.
"How privileged I was to give the first performance of Douglas Weiland's concerto; it is written in a musical language that is immediately intelligible and appealing; yet it is a unique compositional style that sings through his work, an extraordinary insight into the vocal potential of the clarinet. Audacious in scale, it is an emotionally fulfilling work to play. This piece deserves wide recognition as a serious addition to the small number of major works written for the clarinet." Andrew Marriner
.
"The Weiland Clarinet Concerto is a major work of classical daring. The composer serves the highest musical ideals revealing an exquisite taste, a superb sense of proportion and pacing, elegance, mystery, rich muscular drama and a complete mastery of the orchestra. The clarinet and orchestral writing in fact is such that in a comparatively short amount of time this concerto will become one of those works that "must have always been there". Douglas Weiland has created a twenty-first century masterpiece, a magnificent successor to the clarinet concertos of Mozart and Nielsen." William Hennessy
.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Formerly a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist - 2 years English Chamber Orchestra
English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and the ECO Ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall...
, 7 years Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
, and 5 years as a founder member of the Australian Quartet
Australian String Quartet
The Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
(1985–1990), he has been a full-time composer since 1990.
Weiland has produced numerous and acclaimed chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, orchestral and choral works, many commissioned for and performed by some of the world’s greatest artists: Sir Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
The Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
, Altenberg Trio Wien
Altenberg Trio
The Altenberg Trio is a piano trio formed in 1994 in Vienna. It is named after a Viennese poet Peter Altenberg. Since its debut during the Salzburg Mozart Week in 1994, it is one of the few full-time piano trios in Europe. The ensemble became Trio-in-residence of Vienna's Gesellschaft der...
, William Hennessy’s
William Hennessy
William Hennessy is a violinist and concertmaster who has made hundreds of soloist appearances with Australian orchestras. In 2008, he became an Artist in Residence at the Australian National Academy of Music, with duties including performance, violin teaching, and the fostering and coaching of...
Australian Quartet
Australian String Quartet
The Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
, Marie-Noëlle Kendall, Andrew Marriner
Andrew Marriner
Andrew Marriner is a British classical clarinettist and the son of the famed conductor Neville Marriner. He was a boy chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. In 1968, he joined the National Youth Orchestra, and eventually pursued studies at Oxford University. He then left Oxford and...
, Kenneth Sillito, Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis CBE is a British cellist. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound and total command of phrasing. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was much influenced by the great iconoclast of Russian cello playing, Daniil Shafran...
, and the young Hamer Quartet.
Three early major chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
works (1985–1988) were commissioned for William Hennessy’s
William Hennessy
William Hennessy is a violinist and concertmaster who has made hundreds of soloist appearances with Australian orchestras. In 2008, he became an Artist in Residence at the Australian National Academy of Music, with duties including performance, violin teaching, and the fostering and coaching of...
newly formed Australian Quartet
Australian String Quartet
The Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
, and announced Weiland as a new voice, categorised by modern-classical hall-marks – aspiring to the achievements of Bartók, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Tippett - as distinct from avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
.
Weiland was Composer-in-Residence for the Norfolk and Norwich Music Club from 2003 - 2007.
Selected commissions / performances / broadcasts
- Third Quartet (op. 39) 2005 Norfolk & Norwich Music Club. Hamer Quartet world premiere ANAMAustralian National Academy of MusicThe Australian National Academy of Music is Australia's centre of excellence responsible for training the country's finest young musicians. Located in the South Melbourne, Victoria, it is a member of the Australian Roundtable for Arts Training Excellence...
2007, European premiere 2008; - Triple Concerto (op. 38) 2006 Sir Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin in the FieldsAcademy of St. Martin in the FieldsThe Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
/ Altenberg Trio WienAltenberg TrioThe Altenberg Trio is a piano trio formed in 1994 in Vienna. It is named after a Viennese poet Peter Altenberg. Since its debut during the Salzburg Mozart Week in 1994, it is one of the few full-time piano trios in Europe. The ensemble became Trio-in-residence of Vienna's Gesellschaft der...
; - Third Solo Cello Suite "Isserlis Mikro-Suite" (op. 37) 2004 Norfolk & Norwich Music Club for Steven IsserlisSteven IsserlisSteven Isserlis CBE is a British cellist. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound and total command of phrasing. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was much influenced by the great iconoclast of Russian cello playing, Daniil Shafran...
; - Clarinet Quintet (op. 33) 2003 Norfolk & Norwich Music Club for Andrew MarrinerAndrew MarrinerAndrew Marriner is a British classical clarinettist and the son of the famed conductor Neville Marriner. He was a boy chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. In 1968, he joined the National Youth Orchestra, and eventually pursued studies at Oxford University. He then left Oxford and...
& ASMFAcademy of St. Martin in the FieldsThe Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
Ensemble; - Second Trio (op.32) "Pavey ArkPavey ArkPavey Ark is a fell in the English county of Cumbria. It is one of the Langdale Pikes, lying to the north of Great Langdale, in the heart of the Lake District, immediately to the north-east of Harrison Stickle.-Topography:...
" 2002 Norfolk & Norwich Music Club for Altenberg Trio WienAltenberg TrioThe Altenberg Trio is a piano trio formed in 1994 in Vienna. It is named after a Viennese poet Peter Altenberg. Since its debut during the Salzburg Mozart Week in 1994, it is one of the few full-time piano trios in Europe. The ensemble became Trio-in-residence of Vienna's Gesellschaft der...
; - Clarinet Concerto (op. 30) 2001 Sir Neville Marriner and Julian BurnsideJulian BurnsideJulian William Kennedy Burnside AO QC is an Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author. He is known for his staunch opposition to the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and has provided legal counsel in a wide array of high-profile cases...
for Andrew MarrinerAndrew MarrinerAndrew Marriner is a British classical clarinettist and the son of the famed conductor Neville Marriner. He was a boy chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. In 1968, he joined the National Youth Orchestra, and eventually pursued studies at Oxford University. He then left Oxford and...
; - First Trio (op. 22) 1995 Rudolf & Gloria Bretschneider, perf. Raphael Trio and Altenberg TrioAltenberg TrioThe Altenberg Trio is a piano trio formed in 1994 in Vienna. It is named after a Viennese poet Peter Altenberg. Since its debut during the Salzburg Mozart Week in 1994, it is one of the few full-time piano trios in Europe. The ensemble became Trio-in-residence of Vienna's Gesellschaft der...
(Brahms Saal series - Musikverein); - Motet ‘Holy Baptisme’ (op. 16) Choir of Trinity College, CambridgeChoir of Trinity College, CambridgeThe Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge is a mixed choir whose primary function is to sing choral services in the Tudor chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge...
/ Richard MarlowRichard MarlowRichard Kenneth Marlow is an English choral conductor and organist. He was Organ Scholar and later Research Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge. He studied with Thurston Dart, writing a doctoral dissertation on the 17th-century virginalist, Giles Farnaby...
(Trinity ChapelTrinity ChapelTrinity Chapel in Canterbury Cathedral forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The chapel was added by William the Englishman as a shrine for the relics of St. Thomas Becket. The shrine became one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in England....
, Jan 1993); - Divertimento for strings (op. 15) 1991 Sir Neville Marriner and Academy of St. Martin in the FieldsAcademy of St. Martin in the FieldsThe Academy of St Martin in the Fields is an English chamber orchestra, based in London.Sir Neville Marriner founded the ensemble as The Academy of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields in London as a small, conductorless string group. The ensemble's name comes from Trafalgar Square's St Martin-in-the-Fields...
(Queen Elizabeth HallQueen Elizabeth HallThe Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
); - Piano Quintet (op. 8) 1988 Australian QuartetAustralian String QuartetThe Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
for ASQAustralian String QuartetThe Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
& Marie-Noëlle Kendall released ABC ClassicsABC ClassicsABC Classics is the classical music record label within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is internationally recognised as Australia's premier classical music label, with a catalogue of more than 500 titles...
/PolygramPolyGramPolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
1992.; - First String Quartet (op. 5) 1986 Australia Council for ASQAustralian String QuartetThe Australian String Quartet is a prominent Australian string quartet, which presents an annual program of chamber music throughout Australia and internationally....
(>34 perf. incl. Wigmore HallWigmore HallWigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
and La FeniceLa FeniceTeatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
); - Voice Quintet (op. 4) 1985. Premiere: ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
live broadcast from the 1986 Adelaide Festival; - ‘Huge Griffons’ 1992 for RVW Trust/New London Children’s Choir/Ronald Corp (St James’s/LSO St Luke’s/BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
)
Recent works / commissions / projected works / forthcoming performances
- ‘Verses From Scripture’ (op. 40). comm. King’s College IVP, Trinity College ChapelTrinity College ChapelThe Trinity College Chapel in Kandy, Sri Lanka is unique among churches in Sri Lanka. Situated right below the Principal’s bungalow at Trinity College, Kandy and christened “Holy Trinity Church”, the Chapel is made of stone and its roof is supported by 50 pillars with fine stone carvings...
June 2008; - Benedictus (op. 36/2) Bexhill Choral Society/Kenneth Roberts, cond., 4 October 2008 St Augustine’s Bexhill-on-SeaBexhill-on-SeaBexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
; - Goethe ‘Blumengruß’ (op. 41) (choir/pf/orch)(25 Jahr-Jubiläum der Max Böhm Gesellschaft, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, perf. 11 November 2008); - Anthem ‘Vere Dominus Est’ (op.42) (SATB double choir a cappella)(David Lowe/Norwich CathedralNorwich CathedralNorwich Cathedral is a cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Formerly a Catholic church, it has belonged to the Church of England since the English Reformation....
, comm. Christopher & Judith Lawrence 2008 for Norwich CathedralNorwich CathedralNorwich Cathedral is a cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Formerly a Catholic church, it has belonged to the Church of England since the English Reformation....
’s Festival Eucharist 10 May 2009).
- Piano Concerto (op. 31) for Marie-Noëlle Kendall;
- Clarinet Concerto (op. 30) world premierePremiereA premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
: Melbourne Chamber Orchestra / Sir Neville Marriner, conductor, Andrew MarrinerAndrew MarrinerAndrew Marriner is a British classical clarinettist and the son of the famed conductor Neville Marriner. He was a boy chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. In 1968, he joined the National Youth Orchestra, and eventually pursued studies at Oxford University. He then left Oxford and...
clarinet, 19 November 2009, 7.30pm at the new Melbourne Recital CentreMelbourne Recital CentreThe Melbourne Recital Centre is Melbourne's second largest auditorium for classical music . It was opened in 2009, as part of the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre complex, and is located on the corner of Southbank Boulevard and Sturt Street in the Melbourne Arts Precinct,...
.
Reviews
- Clarinet Concerto (op. 30)
"When, early this century, we commissioned Douglas Weiland to write a concerto for the clarinet, I was already familiar with his work. The fact that it turned out to be a masterpiece for the instrument was an unsurprising joy and we knew that Douglas had added a significant major opus to the clarinet repertoire." Sir Neville Marriner.
"How privileged I was to give the first performance of Douglas Weiland's concerto; it is written in a musical language that is immediately intelligible and appealing; yet it is a unique compositional style that sings through his work, an extraordinary insight into the vocal potential of the clarinet. Audacious in scale, it is an emotionally fulfilling work to play. This piece deserves wide recognition as a serious addition to the small number of major works written for the clarinet." Andrew Marriner
Andrew Marriner
Andrew Marriner is a British classical clarinettist and the son of the famed conductor Neville Marriner. He was a boy chorister in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. In 1968, he joined the National Youth Orchestra, and eventually pursued studies at Oxford University. He then left Oxford and...
.
"The Weiland Clarinet Concerto is a major work of classical daring. The composer serves the highest musical ideals revealing an exquisite taste, a superb sense of proportion and pacing, elegance, mystery, rich muscular drama and a complete mastery of the orchestra. The clarinet and orchestral writing in fact is such that in a comparatively short amount of time this concerto will become one of those works that "must have always been there". Douglas Weiland has created a twenty-first century masterpiece, a magnificent successor to the clarinet concertos of Mozart and Nielsen." William Hennessy
William Hennessy
William Hennessy is a violinist and concertmaster who has made hundreds of soloist appearances with Australian orchestras. In 2008, he became an Artist in Residence at the Australian National Academy of Music, with duties including performance, violin teaching, and the fostering and coaching of...
.