Farquhar, David (Andross)

Farquhar, David (Andross), New Zealand composer and teacher; b. Cambridge, New Zealand, April 5, 1928. He studied with Douglas Lilburn, at Canterbury Coll., and at Victoria Coll. (B.A., B.M., 1948), and then went to England and took his M.A. at Emmanuel Coll., Cambridge (1951), completing his training with Benjamin Frankel at the Guildhall School of Music in London (1951–52). Returning to New Zealand, he was a lecturer (1953–76) and prof, of music (1976–93) at Victoria Univ. of Wellington. In 1974 he was founding president of the Composers Assn. of New Zealand. His music is contrapuntal in structure and neo-Romantic in mood.

Works

DRAMATIC A Unicorn for Christmas, opera (1962); Oh Captain Cook!, musical (1969); Shadow, opera (1970; Wellington, Sept. 19, 1988); Fives for 5 Dancers and 5 Instruments (1971); The Uses of Adversity, chamber opera (1996); Enchanted Island, opera (1997). ORCH.: Ring Round the Moon, suite (1953–57); Epithalamion Overture for Strings (1954); Harlequin Overture (1959); 2 syms.: No. 1 (1959; Wellington, Aug. 13, 1960) and No. 2 (1982; Wellington, Nov. 5, 1983); Elegy for Strings (1961); Anniversary Suite No. 1 (1961) and No. 2 (1965); Echoes and Reflections for Strings (1974); Evocation for Orch. of Violins (1975); March for Clarinet and Strings (1984); Scherzo (1992); Concerto for Guitar and Small Orch. (1992); Serenade for Strings (1993); Auras for Piano and Orch. (1994). CHAMBER: 5 Canons for 2 Clarinets (1951); Divertimento for Brass (1960); Anniversary Duos for 2 Guitars (1961–69); Concerto for Wind Quintet (1966); Suite for Guitar (1966); 3 Pieces for Violin and Piano (1967); 5 Scenes for Guitar (1971); Inside-Out for Piano Duet and 2 Percussionists (1972); Scenes and Memories for Violin, Piano, and Percussion (1972); 3 Pieces for Double Bass (1976); Exchanges for Guitar Quartet (1979); Homage to Stravinsky for Brass Quintet or Wind Octet (1986); Concerto for Six for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Vibraphone, and Piano (1987); 4 string quartets (1989, 1995, 1998, 1998); Equali for 2 Cellos (1991); Bachiana for Wind Quinet (1994); Three for Two for Clarinet and Guitar (1995); Obsessions for Treble Recorder (1997); various piano pieces. VOCAL: 8 Blake Songs for Baritone or Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1947–49; rev. 1955); 6 Songs of Women for

Soprano and Piano (1957); In Despite of Death for Baritone and Piano (1958); 3 Scots Ballads for Baritone and Piano (1958); Three of a Kind for Chorus (1967); Play-Sing the Music, 14 songs for Young People (1969); Bells in Their Seasons for Double Chorus and Orch. (1974); Magpies and Other Birds for Vocal Quartet (1976); Waiata Maori for Chorus (1985); 3 Cilia McQueen Songs for Mezzo-soprano or Baritone and Piano (1987); Remembrance of Things Past for High Voice and Piano (1995).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire