The composer who writes one work a year
mainBrian Elias, 68, is emerging from the shadows.
He has been a presence in British music for much of my life but his self-discipline is such that he will only write a piece of music when he feels it has to be written.
Which is usually no more than once a year, and sometimes less.
‘I became conscious that a piece has to have a reason for its existence and that it should be written out of real need, not simply to fill up paper or to fulfil a commission,’ he tells Jessica Duchen.
Full interview here.
Brian Elias’s ballet The Judas Tree is being revived at Covent Garden and there’s a new CD on my desk.
A truly expressive and lyrical composer, a rare phenomenon nowadays:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgkWsnltIDk
One work a year isn’t anything unusual really, especially if it’s a major work.