No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Gordon Crosse: Towards a Style
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 February 2010
Extract
Quoted in Christopher Ford's profile of the composer, Crosse was referring—with characteristic wit—to the need to find his own personal style in order to escape classification as merely a disciple of a ‘Maxwell Davies School’. Crosse's Renaissance techniques and motivic delineation had always differed significantly from Davies's and in the 12 years since that article appeared, as if to prove this point, Crosse has pursued a different direction, centred on the drama and contrasts possible in the concerto or ‘concertante’. The development of his now highly personal style can be recognized as a synthesis of his earlier experiments in serial procedures. Between 1972 and 1977 Crosse wrote three concertantes: Ariadne, for oboe and 12 players (1971–2), Thel, for flute, two horns, and double string septet (1974–6), and Wildboy, for clarinet, cimbalom, and seven players (1977); pieces which share similar origins and musical processes, and provide explicit examples of his compositional methods. To illustrate this personal style, I will compare the origins and musical materials of the first two concertantes and fit them into the context of his output in the period from 1972–7.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985
References
NOTES
1 Ford, C., “Gordon Crosse’, Guardian, 3 01 1972 Google Scholar.
2 For a fuller discussion of the three concertantes refer to my music dissertation submitted in part-fulfilment for the degree of B.Sc. from the University of Keele, 05 1983 Google Scholar entitled: Gordon Crosse:-An original approach to the concerto, with specific reference to Ariadne, Thel and Wildboy.
3 C. Ford, Guardian.
4 East, L., ‘The Problem of Communication—Two solutions: Thea Musgrave and Gordon Crosse’, British Music Now, ed. Foreman, L. (London: Paul Elek, 1975), p.30 Google Scholar.
5 Wight, S., Interview with Gordon Crosse 6 01 1984, University of Keele undergraduate dissertation entitled: Yeats set by Crosse: An examination of the transference of symbols and the extension of the poetic language of W. B. Yeats into the serial musical language of Gordon Crosse in his opera Purgatory Google Scholar.
6 Bowen, M., ‘Gordon Crosse’, Music and Musicians, XX, 1971, p.42 Google Scholar.
7 Unpublished transcription of an interview I had with the composer contained in Music Dissertation (Keele, 1983), pp. 44–5.
8 The Concerto da Camera, op.6 (1962), is also referred to as his Violin Concerto No.l.
9 Unpublished letter from composer to current writer contained in Music Dissertation (Keele, 1983)Google ScholarPubMed.
10 Lankester, M., note accompanying recording of Ariadne, Argo ZRG 842 (1976)Google Scholar.
11 Unpublished letter, Music Dissertation (Keele, 1983)Google Scholar.
12 Ibid.
13 Interview, Music Dissertation (Keele, 1983)Google ScholarPubMed.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 For a more detailed explanation of Crosse's row manipulation techniques in Ariadne, see Music Dissertation, Chapter 2.