List of compositions by Michael Tippett

The compositional career of the British composer Michael Tippett extended over eight decades, from juvenilia and unpublished works written in the 1920s to his final works of the 1990s. He composed across many genres, from large-scale orchestral works and full-length operas to solo songs and brass band fanfares. From the mid-1930s his music began to be published and performed publicly. The main list is restricted to published and publicly performed works; a subsidiary list gives details of unpublished pieces, some of which may have been privately performed.

Published works

Opera

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1946–52 The Midsummer Marriage Voices and orchestra 27 January 1955:
London. Royal Opera House cond. John Pritchard 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. See also "Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage" in orchestral works [1]
1958–61 King Priam Voices and orchestra 29 May 1962:
Coventry. Coventry Theatre. Royal Opera House chorus & orch. cond. John Pritchard 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [2]
1966–69 The Knot Garden Voices and orchestra 2 December 1970:
London. Royal Opera House cond. Colin Davis 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [3]
1973–76 The Ice Break Voices and orchestra 7 July 1977:
London. Royal Opera House cond. Colin Davis 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer. [3]
1985–88 New Year Voices and orchestra 27 October 1989:
Houston, Texas. Houston Grand Opera cond. John DeMain 		Opera in three acts. Libretto by composer.
Orchestral Suite 1989. 		[4][5]

Orchestral

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1938–39 Concerto for Double String Orchestra Orchestra 21 April 1940:
London. South London Orchestra (Morley College) cond. Michael Tippett 		Dedicated "to Jeffrey Mark" [6]
1944–45 Symphony No. 1 Orchestra 10 November 1945:
Liverpool. Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Malcolm Sargent 		[1]
1946 Little Music for Strings String Orchestra 9 November 1946:
London. Jacques Orchestra cond. Reginald Jacques 		Written for 10th anniversary of Jacques String Orchestra [1]
1948 Suite in D: Birthday Suite for Prince Charles Orchestra 15 November 1948:
London. BBC broadcast, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Adrian Boult 		BBC commission to mark Prince Charles's birth. Revised in 1983 by Brian Bowen [1]
1952 Ritual Dances from The Midsummer Marriage Orchestra and optional chorus 13 February 1953:
Basel. Basler Kammerorchester cond. Paul Sacher 		Dedicated "to Walter Goehr" [1]
1953 Variations on an Elizabethan Theme (Composite work: second variation, "Lament" by Tippett) Small Orchestra 16 June 1953:
London. BBC broadcast, orchestra cond. Benjamin Britten 		Variations by six composers. First public performance Aldeburgh Festival, 20 June 1953 [7]
1953 Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli String orchestra 29 August 1953:
Edinburgh. BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett 		Edinburgh Festival celebration of tercentenary of birth of Arcangelo Corelli [8]
1953–54 Divertimento on Sellinger's Round Chamber orchestra 5 November 1954:
Zürich. Collegium Musicum Zürich cond. Paul Sacher 		Commissioned by, and dedicated to, Paul Sacher [8]
1956–57 Symphony No. 2 Orchestra 5 February 1958:
London. BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Adrian Boult 		Dedicated "to John Minchinton" [2]
Chamber/
/instrumental		 1962 Incidental music for The Tempest Voices and ensemble 29 May 1962:
London. Old Vic production; music directed by John Lambert 		[9]
1962–63 Concerto for Orchestra Orchestra 28 August 1963:
Edinburgh. London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Written in celebration of Benjamin Britten's 50th birthday and dedicated to him [10]
1966 "Braint" (last of Severn Bridge Variations, a composite work) Orchestra 12 January 1967:
Swansea. BBC Training Orchestra cond Sir Adrian Boult 		One of 7 variations on a trad. Welsh melody, each by a different composer [3]
1970–72 Symphony No. 3 Soprano and orchestra 22 June 1972:
London. Heather Harper, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Dedicated "to Howard Hartog" [3]
1976–77 Symphony No. 4 Orchestra 6 October 1977:
Chicago. Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Georg Solti 		Dedicated "to Ian Kemp" [11]
1988 Water Out of Sunlight Orchestra 15 June 1988:
London. Academy of St Martin in the Fields cond. Neville Marriner 		Orchestral arrangement by Meirion Bowen of String Quartet No. 4 (1977–78) [5][12]
1991–93 The Rose Lake Orchestra 19 February 1995:
London. London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Premiered at a Tippett 90th birthday celebration concert [13]

Concertante

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1939–41 Fantasia on a Theme of Handel Piano and orchestra 7 March 1942:
London. Phyllis Sellick, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Walter Goehr 		Dedicated "to Phyllis Sellick" [6]
1953–55 Piano Concerto Piano and orchestra 30 October 1956:
Birmingham. Louis Kentner, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra cond. Rudolf Schwarz 		Dedicated "to Evelyn Maude" [8]
1978–79 Triple concerto for violin, viola and cello Violin, viola, cello and orchestra 22 August 1980:
London. György Pauk, Nobuko Imai, Ralph Kirshbaum, London Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Dedicated "to Herbert and Betty Barrett" [11]

Choral

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1939–41 Oratorio: A Child of Our Time SATB soloists, choir and orchestra 19 March 1944:
London. Joan Cross, Margaret MacArthur, Peter Pears, Roderick Lloyd, London Regional Civil Defence Choir, Morley College Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Walter Goehr 		Text by Michael Tippett, who in 1958 arranged the five spirituals for unaccompanied chorus. [6]
1942 Two Madrigals for unaccompanied chorus: "The Source" and "The Windhover" SATB chorus 17 July 1943:
London. Morley College Choir cond. Walter Bergmann 		Settings of poems by Edward Thomas and Gerard Manley Hopkins [6]
1943–44 Motet: Plebs Angelica Double choir 16 September 1944:
Canterbury. Fleet Street Choir cond. T. B. Lawrence 		Commissioned by Canterbury Cathedral and dedicated to the cathedral's choir [6]
1944 Motet: The Weeping Babe Soprano and SATB choir 24 December 1944:
London. BBC broadcast, BBC Singers cond. Leslie Woodgate 		Setting of poem by Edith Sitwell. Dedicated "in memory of Bronwen Wilson" [1]
1956 Four Songs from the British Isles: "Early One Morning"; "Lillibullero"; "Poortith cauld"; "Gwenllian" Unaccompanied SATB chorus 6 July 1958:
Royaumont Abbey, France. London Bach Group cond. John Minchinton 		Performed at the 1958 Royaumont Festival [2]
1956 "Over The Sea To Skye" Unaccompanied SATB chorus 31 July 2003:
Dublin. National Chamber Choir of Ireland conducted by Celso Antunes 		Work lost after 1956, rediscovered 2002 [14]
1958 Cantata: Crown of the Year SSA chorus; recorders or flutes, oboe, clarinet, cornet or trumpet, string quartet, percussion, handbells and piano 25 July 1958:
Bristol. Badminton School choir and ensemble, cond. Michael Tippett 		Composed for the Badminton School centenary [2]
1958 Hymn tune: Wadhurst (setting for "Unto the hills around", by John Campbell) Written at the request of The Salvation Army [2]
1960 "Music" (Shelley poem) Unison voices, strings and piano (or voices and strings) 26 April 1960:
Tunbridge Wells. Choirs of East Sussex and West Kent Choral Festival, cond. Trevor Harvey 		[2]
1961 Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis SATB chorus and organ 13 March 1962:
Cambridge. St John's College Chapel Choir cond. George Guest 		Composed for the 450th anniversary of the foundation of St John's College, Cambridge [10]
1962–65 The Vision of Saint Augustine Baritone solo, chorus and orchestra 19 January 1966:
London. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, BBC Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett 		Commissioned by BBC [10]
1965–70 The Shires Suite Chorus and orchestra 8 July 1970:
Cheltenham. Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra cond. Michael Tippett 		Written for the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra [3]
1980–82 Oratorio: The Mask of Time SATB soloists, chorus and orchestra 5 April 1984:
Boston. Faye Robinson, Yvonne Minton, Robert Tear, John Cheek, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston Symphony Orchestra cond. Colin Davis 		Commissioned for 100th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra [11]

Vocal

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1943 Cantata: Boyhood's End Tenor and piano 5 June 1943:
London. Peter Pears (tenor), Benjamin Britten (piano) 		Text by W. H. Hudson [6]
1950–51 Song cycle: The Heart's Assurance Solo high voice and piano 7 May 1951:
London. Peter Pears (tenor) and Benjamin Britten (piano) 		Setting of poems by Sidney Keyes and Alun Lewis. Dedicated "in memory of Francesca Allinson (1902–45)" [1]
1952 Madrigal for five voices: "Dance, Clarion Air" Two sopranos, alto, tenor, bass 1 June 1953:
London. Golden Age Singers and the Cambridge University Madrigal Society cond. Boris Ord 		Text by Christopher Fry. From A Garland for the Queen, a collection of madrigals by various composers, marking the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II [8]
1956 Bonny at Morn (folksong arrangement) Unison voices, recorder accompaniment April 1956 Written for 10th anniversary of the International Pestalozzi Children's Village at Trogen [8]
1959 Lullaby for Six Voices Six voices, alternately for alto solo and small SSTTB choir 31 January 1960:
London. Deller Consort 		Written for the Deller Consort's 10th anniversary [2]
1960 Words for Music Perhaps Speaking voice and chamber ensemble 8 June 1960:
London. BBC broadcast, ensemble conducted by Michael Tippett 		Poem by W. B. Yeats [10]
1961 Songs for Achilles Tenor and guitar 7 July 1961:
Aldeburgh. Peter Pears (tenor), Julian Bream (guitar) 		Sung at Aldeburgh Festival 1961 [10]
1962 Songs for Ariel Solo voice, piano or harpsichord 21 September 1962:
London. Grayston Burgess and Virginia Pleasants 		Adapted from The Tempest incidental music (1962); rearranged in 1964 for voice and small instrumental ensemble [10][14]
1970 Songs for Dov Tenor and small orchestra 12 October 1970:
Cardiff. Gerard English, London Sinfonietta cond. Michael Tippett 		Dedicated "to Eric Walter White" [3]
1988–90 Byzantium Soprano and orchestra 11 April 1991:
Chicago. Faye Robinson, Chicago Symphony Orchestra cond. Sir Georg Solti 		[15]
1995 Caliban's Song Baritone and piano 26 November 1995:
London. BBC broadcast, David Barrell (bar), and Iain Burnside (piano) 		Incorporated in Suite: The Tempest (1995) [16]
1995 Suite: The Tempest Tenor, baritone, and ensemble 14 December 1995:
London. Martyn Hill, tenor, David Barrell, baritone, Nash Ensemble cond. Andrew Parrot 		Arranged by Meiron Bowen from The Tempest incidental music [17]

Chamber / Instrumental

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1934–35 String Quartet No. 1 Violin (2), viola, cello 9 December 1935:
London. Brosa Quartet 		Dedicated "to Wilfred Franks". Revised in 1943 [18]
1936–38 Piano Sonata No. 1 Piano 11 November 1938:
London. Phyllis Sellick 		Dedicated "to Francesca Allinson" [6]
1941–42 String Quartet No. 2 in F-sharp Violin (2), viola, cello 27 March 1943:
London. Zorian Quartet 		Dedicated "to Walter Bergmann" [6]
1945–46 String Quartet No. 3 Violin (2), viola, cello 19 October 1946:
London. Zorian Quartet 		Dedicated "to Mrs Mary Behrend" [1]
1946 "Preludio al Vespro di Monteverdi" Solo organ 5 July 1946:
London. Geraint Jones 		Dedicated "for Geraint Jones" [1]
1954 Four Inventions for recorders Treble and descant recorders 1 August 1954:
London. Society of Recorder Players 		[8]
1955 Sonata for Four Horns French horns 20 December 1955:
London Dennis Brain Wind Ensemble 		[8]
1962 Piano Sonata No. 2 Piano 3 September 1962:
Edinburgh. Margaret Kitchin 		Dedicated "to Margaret Kitchin" [10]
1962 Praeludium Brass, bells and percussion 14 November 1962:
London. BBC Symphony Orchestra (sections) cond. Antal Doráti 		Composed for 40th anniversary of the BBC [10]
1962–63 "Mosaic" Wind band Setting of first movement of Concerto for Orchestra (1962–63) [14]
1964 Prelude, Recitative and Aria Flute, oboe and harpsichord or piano February 1964:
London. BBC broadcast, Orion Trio 		Arrangement of Hermes’ aria "O Divine Music" from King Priam (1958–61) [14]
1971 In Memoriam Magistri Flute, clarinet and string quartet 17 June 1972:
London. London Sinfonietta cond. Elgar Howarth 		Commissioned by Tempo magazine in memory of Igor Stravinsky (died 6 April 1971) [3]
1972–73 Piano Sonata No. 3 Piano 26 May 1973:
Bath. Paul Crossley 		Dedicated "to Anna Kallin" [3]
1977–78 String Quartet No. 4 Violin (2), viola, cello 20 May 1979:
Bath. Lindsay String Quartet 		Dedicated "to Michael Tillett, colleague and friend". For orchestral version see Water Out of Sunlight (1988) [11]
1982–83 The Blue Guitar Solo guitar 9 November 1983:
Pasadena, Ca. Julian Bream 		Dedicated "to the memory of Calvin Simmons (1950–82)" [11]
1983–84 Piano Sonata No. 4 Piano 14 January 1985:
Los Angeles. Paul Crossley 		Dedicated "to Michael Vyner" [19]
1985 A Vision of the Island (adaptation of The Tempest incidental music) Speakers, four male voices, chamber ensemble 25 October 1985:
London. BBC broadcast, members of Taverner Consort and Nash Ensemble cond. Andrew Parrott 		[19]
1990–91 String Quartet No. 5 Violin (2), viola, cello May 1992:
Sheffield. Lindsay Quartet 		[20]
1991 Prelude: Autumn Oboe and piano [5]

Brass band

Date of composition Title Musical forces First performance details Notes Ref.
1943 Brass Fanfare No. 1 Four horns, three trumpets, three trombones 21 September 1943:
Northampton. Band of the Northamptonshire Regiment 		Commissioned for the 30th anniversary of the consecration of St Matthew's Church, Northampton [6]
1953 Brass Fanfares Nos 2 and 3 No. 2 (four trumpets); No. 3 (three trumpets) 6 June 1963:
St Ives, Cornwall. Trumpeters from RAF Mawgan 		[8]
1980 Brass Fanfare No. 4: Wolf Trap Three trumpets, two trombones and tuba 29 June 1980:
Wolf Trap, Virginia. Members of National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, cond. Hugh Wolff 		[11]
1983 Festal Brass with Blues Brass band 6 February 1984:
Hong Kong. Fairey Engineering Band. cond. Howard Williams 		[19]
1987 Brass Band Fanfare No. 5 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussion June 1987:
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble cond. Elgar Howarth 		Arranged by Meirion Bowen from The Mask of Time [5][14]
1987 Triumph Concert band: brass, woodwind and percussion Commissioned by The New England Conservatory, Baylor University, University of Michigan, Florida State University, Ohio State University and Cincinnati Conservatory [5][14]

Juvenilia and unpublished works

The following works are listed by Ian Kemp as (a) works or fragments whose manuscripts have survived and (b) works whose manuscripts are lost but of which there is a record of public performance.[18]

Date of composition Title Musical forces Notes
1926–27 Arrangements: Bolsters (ballet); "The House that Jack Built"; "Cheerly Men"; "Yang-Tsi-Kiang"; "Three Jovial Huntsmen" Piano trio
1927 The Undying Fire Baritone, chorus and orchestra Text by H. G. Wells
1927–28 The Village Opera: opera in 3 acts Voices and orchestra Adaptation of 1729 work by Charles Johnson
1928 Piano Sonata in C minor Piano
1928–30 String Quartet in F
1928–30 Concerto in D Flutes, oboe, horns and strings Manuscript lost
1929 String Quartet in F minor
1929 Piano variations for Dudley Parvin Piano
1929 Ten variations on a Swiss folksong as harmonised by Beethoven Piano
1929 Three songs: "Sea Love"; Afternoon Tea; Arracombe Fair Voice and piano Poems by Charlotte Mew. Music manuscripts of 'Sea Love' and 'Arracombe Fair' lost.
1930 "Jockey to the Fair": variations Piano
1930 Overture and incidental music: Don Juan Orchestra Play (1925) by James Elroy Flecker. Music manuscript lost
1930 Psalm in C: "The Gateway" Chorus and orchestra Text by Christopher Fry
1930 Sonata in E minor Fragments only
1930–31 Symphonic Movement Orchestra
1932 String Trio in B-flat Orchestral version 1932 (fragments only)
1933–34 Symphony in B-flat Orchestra
1934 Robin Hood (opera) Voices and orchestra Libretto by Tippett, Ruth Pennyman and David Ayerst: Performed by an amateur cast at Boosbeck, Yorkshire, in 1934. Some music recycled into Birthday Suite of 1948.[21]
1935 "Miners" Chorus and piano Text by Judy Wogan
1937 A Song of Liberty: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Chorus and orchestra Poem by William Blake
1938 Robert of Sicily (Children's opera) Voices and orchestra Text by Christopher Fry based on Longfellow[22]
1939 Seven at one Stroke (Children's opera) Voices and orchestra Text by Christopher Fry[22] based on "The Valiant Little Tailor", one of Grimms' Fairy Tales

References

Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kemp, p. 500
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Kemp, p. 502
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Kemp, p. 504
  4. ^ Henahan, Donal (30 October 1989). "Time Traveling and Agoraphobia in Tippett Opera". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Tippett, Michael". The Oxford Dictionary of Music (online edition). 21 May 2013. ISBN 978-0-19-957810-8. Retrieved 26 July 2013. (subscription required)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kemp, p. 499
  7. ^ Reed, Cooke & Mitchell 2008, pp. 106–107.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Kemp, p. 501
  9. ^ Kemp, p. 373
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Kemp, p. 503
  11. ^ a b c d e f Kemp, p. 505
  12. ^ "Water Out Of Sunlight". Schott Music Shop. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  13. ^ Mangum, John. "The Rose Lake". Los Angeles Philharmonic. Archived from the original on 1 September 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Michael Tippett: List of Published Works" (PDF). Schott Music Shop. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  15. ^ Bowen, Meirion (1991). "Tippett's Byzantium". The Musical Times. 132 (1783): 438–440. doi:10.2307/965645. JSTOR 965645. (subscription required)
  16. ^ Bowen 1997, p. 258.
  17. ^ Bowen 1997, p. 259.
  18. ^ a b Kemp, p. 498
  19. ^ a b c Kemp, p. 506
  20. ^ "Obituary: Sir Michael Tippett OM". The Daily Telegraph. London. 10 January 1998. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011.
  21. ^ Kemp, pp. 26–27
  22. ^ a b Kemp, p. 34

Sources