The composer who writes one work a year

The composer who writes one work a year

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norman lebrecht

April 16, 2017

Brian 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.

 

Comments

  • John Borstlap says:

    A truly expressive and lyrical composer, a rare phenomenon nowadays:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgkWsnltIDk

  • Franklin S says:

    One work a year isn’t anything unusual really, especially if it’s a major work.

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