David Earl
Composer
Having written steadily during his teenage and student years, David Earl officially launched himself as a composer at a Wigmore Hall recital in 1977, playing Piano Suite No 1 Mosaics. This work was followed by a Piano Concerto and his first commission - an hour-long score for Peter Darrell and The Scottish Ballet inspired by Colette's famous novel Chéri. The ballet was premiered in September 1980 at the Edinburgh Festival with Galina Samsova and Patrick Bissell dancing the lead roles (photo, below). Philip Prowse was the designer. Chéri has received many subsequent performances, including those in a version for chamber ensemble for touring to small venues. It was given a new production by The Hong Kong Ballet in 1989.
Piano Concerto No 1 was premiered in March 1980 in Cape Town with Christian Badea conducting the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.
Two further ballet scores were subsequently commissioned by the CAPAB Ballet in Cape Town. In 1982, with designs by Peter Cazalet and based on Rebecca West's novel, The Return of the Soldier (photo, below) was choreographed by Veronica Paeper, with the main roles created by Eduard Greyling and Cantinka van Vlaanderen. In 1985 the same team were involved in Abelard and Heloise - the score incorporating choral sections into the orchestration.
Between 1982 and 1986 David was involved in several projects for television. P'Tang Yang Kipperbang, directed by Michael Apted with a script by Jack Rosenthal, was shown during the opening week of Channel Four. A second film, Arthur's Hallowed Ground, was directed by veteran cinematographer Freddie Young. Following these came a six-part series The Price, directed by Peter Smith with whom David worked on other independent projects.
In 1986 David and Melanie Horne were the soloists in a Two-Piano Concerto which was performed by the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra under Enrique Garcia Asensio, the work being inspired by the legend of Castor and Pollux. The following year saw the completion of a choral symphony - Trumpets from the Steep - a setting for soprano, chorus and orchestra of Wordsworth's Intimation of Immortality.
Piano Suite No 2 Gargoyles, based on the baroque dance suites, and Caryatids - Three Intermezzi made their appearance in 1990, as did the Violin Concerto which was premiered in June of that year with The Bardi Orchestra under Andrew Constantine, with Tasmin Little as soloist (photo, left).
In February 1991, a full-length ballet based on Shakespeare's Macbeth was premiered by Ballet de Santiago in Chile, with choreography by Andre Prokovsky (photo, right: 2nd from right) and designs by Robin Don. Edgardo Hartley and Sara Nieto created the roles of Macbeth and his wife.
1993 saw the first performances of three new works - Oxymorons: 24 Preludes for Piano, performed at that years Grahamstown Festival in South Africa; Man's Medley - a setting of George Herbert poetry for soprano, chorus and orchestra (commissioned by The Charnwood Choral Society in Loughborough); and Sonata No 1 for Violin and Piano - especially commissioned for Tasmin Little and performed by her and Martin Roscoe.
In 1995, a setting of Queen Victoria's Highland Journal, a dance-theatre project commissioned by The Scottish Arts Council, was given its first performance in Glasgow. Piano Suite No 3 Mandalas, inspired by Buddhist iconography, received its first performance the following year.
Two works for cello appeared in 1998 - a Sonata for Cello and Piano, and a Cello Concerto. The latter was given its first performance by Alexander Chaushian with The Birmingham Sinfonia under Andrew Constantine.
Recent works include a setting of Kukai's To a Nobleman in Kyoto for baritone and orchestra, a short work for Violin and Piano Invocation to Manjughosa, a Trumpet Concerto and a second Piano Concerto. David is currently working on an opera based on the conversion to Buddhism of convicted murderer Frankie Parker, as well as a choral setting of the Bodhicaryavatara.
List of Compositions
(visit the performer page for news of upcoming performances of David's compositions)
Piano Suite No 1 Mosaics (1977)
Piano Concerto No 1 (1977-78)
Ballet in one act: Chéri (1978)
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace - setting of St Francis of Assisi for SATB (1979)
Ballet in one act: Return of the Soldier (1980-81)
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1983)
Ballet in one act: Abelard and Heloise (1983)
Ballet in one act: The Nightingale and the Rose (1983)
Incidental music for Dance of the Defectors (Lot's Wife) (1983-84)
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills - Psalm 121 for soprano and piano (1984)
Opera in two acts: Hamlet (1984)
Violin Concerto (1985)
Piano Suite No 2 Gargoyles (1986-89)
Choral Symphony Trumpets from the Steep (1987)
Opera in two acts: The Go-Between (1991)
Ballet in two acts: Macbeth (1991)
3 Intermezzi for Piano Caryatids (1991)
Sonata No 1 for Violin and Piano (1991)
24 Preludes for Piano Oxymorons (1993)
Man's Medley - choral and orchestral settings of George Herbert (1993)
Cello Concerto (1994)
Highland Journal - dance/theatre score with piano, tenor roles (1995)
Piano Suite No 3 Mandalas (1996)
To a Nobleman in Kyoto - settings of Kukai for baritone and piano (1997)
Sonata No 2 for Violin and Piano (1997)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1998)
Invocation to Manjughosa - Violin and Piano (2002)
Theme and Variations - transcription for piano of the 4th movement from Tchaikovsky's Suite No 3 Op 55 (2002)
Trumpet Concerto (2005)
Piano Concerto No 2 (2006)
Praise the Lord for all our parents (SATB with organ; also SATB with orchestra) (2008)
Old Roses for solo piano (2008)
Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano (2008)
Quintet for Piano and Strings (2008)
Wind and Wings for Wind Trio and Harp (2009)
Sonata for Oboe and Piano (2009)
Sonatina for Piano (2009)
Ode to Memory for string quartet, clarinet, flute and harp (2009)
Last updated January 2010