Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies
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Name	Peter Maxwell Davies
Birth date	08 September 1934
Birth place	Salford, Lancashire, England
Death date	14 March 2016
Death place	Orkney, Scotland
Occupation	Composer, conductor
Notable works	Eight Songs for a Mad King, Strathclyde Concertos, Symphony No. 1
Awards	Knighted (1987)

Peter Maxwell Davies. He was a seminal British composer and conductor, renowned for his fiercely original and often provocative musical voice. A central figure in post-war British music, his extensive output ranged from avant-garde music-theatre to large-scale symphonies and concertos. His later life was profoundly shaped by his residency in Orkney, which inspired a vast body of work deeply connected to the landscape and history of the islands.

Early life and education

Born in Salford, he displayed prodigious musical talent early on. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music alongside contemporaries like Harrison Birtwistle and Alexander Goehr, a group later dubbed the Manchester School. His studies continued under Petr Eben in Prague and with the renowned Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi in Rome, experiences that broadened his compositional horizons. A pivotal early influence was his encounter with the complex scores of the Second Viennese School, particularly the works of Alban Berg and Anton Webern.

Career and major works

His early career was marked by radical, confrontational works composed while he was Director of Music at Cirencester Grammar School. Pieces like the music-theatre work Eight Songs for a Mad King and the orchestral Worldes Blis established his reputation as an enfant terrible. In 1970, he co-founded the contemporary music ensemble The Fires of London, for which he wrote many seminal works. A life-changing move to Orkney in 1971 led to a prolific period; he founded the St Magnus Festival there in 1977. Major orchestral cycles followed, including ten Strathclyde Concertos for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a landmark series of ten symphonies, with his Symphony No. 1 premiered by the Royal Philharmonic Society. He also served as Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and later as Composer Laureate of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Style and influences

His style evolved dramatically, from an early modernist phase employing serialism and medieval techniques like isorhythm. Works such as Taverner, an opera based on the life of the Tudor composer John Taverner, showcased his complex, often abrasive polyphony. The Orkney period ushered in a clearer, more lyrical style, though still harmonically rugged, drawing inspiration from the sea and Norse mythology. Influences ranged from Monteverdi and the Renaissance music of William Byrd to the symphonic structures of Jean Sibelius. His music frequently engaged with political and social themes, as heard in works like the opera The Lighthouse and the orchestral piece Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise.

Honours and legacy

He received numerous accolades, including being appointed a Knight Bachelor in 1987 and later to the Order of the Companions of Honour. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire earlier in his career. Among prestigious awards, he was the recipient of the Gramophone Award and the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award. His legacy is preserved through the extensive catalogue of his publisher Boosey & Hawkes, the ongoing St Magnus Festival, and his profound influence on generations of British composers. Institutions like the Royal Academy of Music and the BBC frequently programme his works, ensuring his continued presence in the concert repertoire.

Personal life

He was a fiercely private individual who found profound creative sanctuary in his home on Hoy, Orkney. A committed environmentalist and socialist, he was outspoken on political issues, notably opposing the Trident nuclear system. His long-term partnership was with journalist and librettist Colin Parkinson. In 2013, he publicly entered a civil partnership with his manager, John Carewe. He remained a prolific composer until his death from leukemia, passing away at his home in Orkney in 2016. His archives are held at the British Library.

Category:20th-century British composers Category:English classical composers Category:People from Salford