Mark-Anthony Turnage

Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE (born 10 June 1960) is a prolific^[1] English composer of classical music.

Biography

Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex. His initial musical studies were with Oliver Knussen, John Lambert, and later with Gunther Schuller.^[2] He also has been strongly influenced by jazz, in particular by the work of Miles Davis, and has composed works featuring jazz performers including John Scofield, Peter Erskine and Joe Lovano.

Turnage has composed numerous orchestral and chamber works, and three full-length operas. Greek, composed with the encouragement of Hans Werner Henze and first performed in 1988 at the Munich Biennale, is based on Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Oedipus the King. The Silver Tassie, first performed in 2000, is based on the play by Seán O'Casey. Anna Nicole with libretto by Richard Thomas, first performed in 2011, relates the rise and fall of Playboy model and media celebrity Anna-Nicole Smith. Other works include Three Screaming Popes (after the paintings by Francis Bacon), Your Rockaby (a concerto for saxophone and orchestra), Yet Another Set To (a concerto for trombone and orchestra, dedicated to Christian Lindberg), and From the Wreckage (a concerto for trumpet and orchestra, written for Håkan Hardenberger). Blood on the Floor (1993–1996), for jazz quartet and large ensemble, contains nine sections with a shared theme of drug addiction, the section titled "Elegy for Andy" being a lament.

Turnage was the first Radcliffe Composer in Association with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1989 until 1993 and between 2000 and 2003 was the BBC Symphony Orchestra's first Associate Composer. He was Composer in Residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra from 2005 until 2010. Between 2006 and 2010, Turnage was a co-composer-in-residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a position he held alongside Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov.

In Autumn 2005, he was appointed the Royal College of Music's Research Fellow in Composition. In 2015 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to music.^[3]

Works

Opera

Title	Genre	Subdivisions	Libretto	Premiere	Theatre
Greek	opera	2 acts, 90′	Turnagethe composer and Jonathan Moore, after the play by Steven Berkoff	1988061717 June 1988	Munich Biennale
Twice Through the Heart	dramatic scena	3 parts, 30′	KayJackie Kay	1997061716 June 1997	Aldeburgh Festival
Country of the Blind	chamber opera			1997061716 June 1997	Aldeburgh Festival
Silver TassieThe Silver Tassie	opera	4 acts, 120′	HoldenAmanda Holden, after the play by Seán O'Casey	2000021616 February 2000	English National Opera
Anna Nicole	opera	2 acts, 120′	ThomasRichard Thomas	2011021717 February 2011	Royal Opera House, London[4]

Ballet

• From All Sides (2005–06)
• L'Anatomie De La Sensation (2011)
• Undance (2011)
• Trespass (2012)

Orchestral

• Night Dances (1981), for offstage string quintet, solo instrumental group and orchestra
• Three Screaming Popes (1988–89)
• Some Days (1989), song cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
• Momentum (1990–1991)
• Drowned Out (1992–1993)
• Your Rockaby (1992–93), for soprano saxophone and orchestra
• Dispelling the Fears (1994–1995), for two trumpets and orchestra
• Scorched (1996–2001), for jazz trio and orchestra
• Still Sleeping (1997)
• Evening Songs (1998)
• Silent Cities (1998)
• About Time (1999–2000), for ensemble and chamber orchestra of period instruments
• Another Set To (1999–2000), concerto for trombone and orchestra
• A Quick Blast (2000), for orchestral winds, brass and percussion
• Dark Crossing (2000), for chamber orchestra
• Etudes and Elegies (2000–2002)
• Four-Horned Fandango (2000), for four horns and orchestra
• On Opened Ground (2000–2001), concerto for viola and orchestra
• Uninterrupted Sorrow (2000–2001)
• Fractured Lines (2001), double concerto for two percussion and orchestra
• When I Woke (2001), for baritone and chamber orchestra
• A Quiet Life (2002), for string orchestra
• A Man Descending (2003), for tenor saxophone and chamber orchestra
• Riffs and Refrains (2003), concerto for clarinet and orchestra
• Scherzoid (2003–04)
• A Soothing Interlude (2004), for trombone and orchestra
• From the Wreckage (2004), concerto for trumpet and orchestra
• Yet Another Set To (2004), concerto for trombone and orchestra
• Ceres (2005)
• Hidden Love Song (2005), for soprano saxophone and chamber orchestra
• Juno (2005)
• Lullaby for Hans (2005), for string orchestra
• Three Asteroids (2005)
• The Torino Scale (2005)
• From All Sides (2005–06)
• A Prayer Out of Stillness (2007), concertante for double bass (doubling bass guitar) and string orchestra
• Chicago Remains (2007)
• Five Views of a Mouth (2007), concerto for flute and orchestra
• Mambo, Blues and Tarantella (2007), concerto for violin and orchestra
• Texan Tenebrae (2009)
• Hammered Out (2010)
• Cello Concerto (2010)
• Speranza (2011–12)
• Canon Fever (2012), premiered at the opening night of the 2012 BBC Proms.
• Frieze (2013) BBC co-commission with the Royal Philharmonic Society and the New York Philharmonic
• Erskine (2013), concerto for drum set and orchestra
• Passchendaele (2013)
• Piano Concerto (2013)
• Dialogue (2014), for violin and cello soloists, strings, percussion, harp and piano
• Håkan (2014), for trumpet and orchestra

Choral

• The Game Is Over (2001–2002), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• A Relic of Memory (2003), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• Calmo (2003), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir and bells
• Two Fanfares and a Lament (2003), for S.A.T.B. choir and large ensemble
• Christmas Night (2006), for S.A.T.B. choir and piano
• Claremont Carol (2006), for upper-voice choir and piano or organ
• Miserere Nobis (2006), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
• At Sixes and Sevens (2012), for soprano and baritone soloists, youth chorus and chamber orchestra

Chamber

• On All Fours (1985), for chamber ensemble
• Release (1987), for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano and double bass
• Kai (1989–1990), for cello solo and ensemble
• Three Farewells (1989–1990), for flute, bass clarinet, harp and string quartet
• Set To (1992–1993), for brass dectet
• This Silence (1992–1993), for clarinet, bassoon, horn and string quintet
• Blood on the Floor (1993–1996), for jazz quartet and large ensemble
• Barrie's Deviant Fantasy (1995), for string quartet and referee's whistles
• Bass Invention (1999–2000), for double bass solo and ensemble
• Cantilena (2001), for oboe quintet
• Snapshots (2002), for large ensemble
• Crying Out Loud (2003), for large ensemble
• A Short Procession (2003), for piano trio
• Eulogy (2003), for viola solo and small ensemble
• No Let Up (2003), for ensemble
• A Fast Stomp (2004), for piano trio
• A Few Serenades (2004), for cello and piano
• A Slow Pavane (2004–2005), for piano trio
• Bleak Moments (2005), for horn and string quartet
• Fanfare (from all sides) (2006), for brass ensemble
• Returning (2006), for string sextet
• Tango (2007), for ensemble
• Out of Black Dust (2007–08), for brass ensemble
• Four Chants (2008), for violin and piano
• Twisted Blues with Twisted Ballad (2008), for string quartet
• Grazioso! (2009), for small ensemble
• Five Processionals (2009), for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
• GG (2010), for cello and percussion
• Three for Two (2010), for piano quartet
• Amelia's March (2010), for small ensemble
• Silem (2010), for solo trumpet and big band
• Undance (2011), for ensemble
• Contusion (2013), for string quartet
• Run Riot (2013), for saxophone quartet
• Power Play (2014), for viola and piano
• Duetti d’Amore (2015), for violin and cello

Vocal

• Lament for a Hanging Man (1983), for soprano and ensemble
• Some Days (1989), song cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
• Greek Suite (1989), for mezzo-soprano, tenor soli and ensemble
• The Torn Fields (2000–2002), song cycle for baritone and large ensemble
• When I Woke (2001), song cycle for baritone and orchestra
• Two Baudelaire Songs (2003–04), for soprano and ensemble
• About Water (2006), for solo jazz singer; soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass soli; solo instrumental septet and large ensemble
• A Constant Obsession (2007), song cycle for tenor and ensemble
• Bellamy (2008), for countertenor and singing harpist

Solo instrumental

• An Aria (with Dancing) (2004), for trumpet
• Ah, Quegli Occhi! (2006), for soprano saxophone
• Air with Variations (2007), for guitar
• Cradle Song (2009), for clarinet
• Leap (2010), for clarinet

Other

• Anthem by Peter Erskine, ed. Turnage (1996), for jazz trio and chamber orchestra
• On the CD Music to Hear (Black Box, BBM 1065, 2001):^[5][6]
  • Two Memorials (1997–2001)
  • An Invention on "Solitude" (1997–98, rev. 1999)
  • Sleep On (1992)
  • Cortège for Chris
  • Two Elegies Framing a Shout (1994)
  • Three Farewells (1990)
  • Tune for Toru (1995–1999)

References

1. "Birthday: Mark-Anthony Turnage", The Times (10 June 2010)
2. "Mark-Anthony Turnage Biography". Boosey & Hawkes. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
3. Metro, 13 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015
4. Anna Nicole at the Royal Opera House. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
5. Music to Hear CD liner notes
6. "Turnage: Music to Hear". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2012.

External links

• Mark-Anthony Turnage at boosey.com Boosey & Hawkes (publisher)
• An introduction to the music of Mark-Anthony Turnage by Anthony Burton
• Mark-Anthony Turnage at Schott Music Schott Music ltd.
• Mark-Anthony Turnage's biography on Cdmc website