Oliver, Stephen (Michael Harding)

Oliver, Stephen (Michael Harding), English composer; b. Liverpool, March 10, 1950; d. London, April 29, 1992. He was a student at Worcester Coll., Oxford (1968–72), receiving training from Leighton (composition) and Sherlaw Johnson (electronic music). Oliver revealed a special talent for composing dramatic scores.

Works

dramatic:Slippery Soules, Christmas drama (Oxford, Dec. 1969; rev. 1976; orchestrated version, London, Dec. 12, 1988); The Duchess of Malfi (1971; rev. version, Santa Fe, N.Mex., Aug. 5, 1978); 3 Instant Operas: Paid Off, Time Flies, and Old Haunts (1973); Sufficient Beauty (1973); Past Tense (1973); Cadenus Observ’d (1974; London, Jan. 26, 1975); Perseverance (1974); Tom Jones (1974–75; Snape, April 6, 1976); Bad Times (London, June 24, 1975); The Great McPorridge Disaster (1976); The Waiter’s Revenge, short opera (Nottingham, June 15, 1976); II Giardino, short opera (Batignano, July 27, 1977; Eng. version as The Garden, London, April 17, 1980); A Stable Home, short opera (1977); The Girl and the Unicorn (London, Dec. 9, 1978); The Dreaming of the Bones (1979); Jacko’s Play, short opera (1979); A Man of Feeling, short opera (London, Nov. 17, 1980); Nicholas Nickelby, incidental music (London, June 1980); The Lord of the Rings, incidental music (1981); Euridice, after Peri’s score of 1600 (London, March 4, 1981); Sasha (1982; Banff, April 7, 1983); Peter Pan, incidental music (London, Dec. 16, 1982); Blondel, musical (Bath, Sept. 5, 1983); Britannia Preserv’d, masque (Hampton Court, May 30, 1984); The Ring (Manchester, May 31, 1984); La Bella e la bestia (Batignano, July 26, 1984; Eng. version as Beauty and the Beast, London, June 21, 1985); Exposition of a Picture (London, June 24, 1986); Mario ed il mago (Batignano, Aug. 5, 1988; Eng. version as Mario and the Magician); Tables Meet (London, May 1990); Timon of Athens (London, May 17, 1991); L’Oca del Cairo (Batignano, July 30, 1991). orch.:The Boy and the Dolphin (1974); Luv (1975); Sym. (Liverpool, May 23, 1976; rev. version, Kuopio, Oct. 13, 1983); O No for Brass Band (London, Oct. 10, 1976; rev. 1985); Concerto for Recorder and Strings (Aldeburgh, June 19, 1988). chamber:Music for the Wreck of the Deutschland for Piano Quintet (1972); Ricercare I for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1973; London, Jan. 11, 1974), II for 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 3 Bassoons, and 2 Horns (Canterbury, June 7, 1981), III for Guitar, Viola, and Cello (1983; London, Jan. 7, 1984), and V for 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba (Sevenoaks, June 15, 1986); Guitar Sonata (1979; Ludwigsburg, May 16, 1981); Character Pieces for 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Horns, and 2 Bassoons (Glyndebourne, July 12, 1991); piano pieces; organ music. vocal:The Elixir for 4 Soloists, Chorus, and Melody Instrument (1976); Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for Chorus (1976); The Dong with a Luminous Nose for Narrator and 5 String Quartets (Woodfords, July 31, 1976; rev. version, London, Oct. 17, 1989); A Dialogue Between Mary and Her Child for Soprano, Baritone, and Chorus (1979); The Child from the Sea, cantata for Treble Voice, Chorus, and Orch. (Newcastle upon Tyne, Oct. 30, 1980); The Key to the Zoo for Narrator, 2 Oboes, Bassoon, and Harpsichord (Anglia TV, Feb. 5, 1980); A String of Beads, cantata for Chorus, 2 Oboes, Bassoon, and Strings (1980; Milton Keynes, Feb. 15, 1981); Namings, cantata for Chorus, Brass Quintet, and Timpani (Edinburgh, Sept. 3, 1981); Trinity Mass for Chorus (Norwich, July 5, 1981); 7 Words, cantata for Chorus and String Orch. (Norwich, Oct. 15, 1985); Forth in Thy Name for Soprano, Bass, and Chorus (St. Albans, Oct. 5, 1985); Festal Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for Chorus and Organ (Norwich, July 6, 1986); 2 Songs and a Scene from Cymbeline for Baritone and Piano (Bromsgrove, Sept. 26, 1986); Ricercare IV for Countertenor, 2 Tenors, and Baritone (1986); Prometheus, cantata for Chorus and Orch. (Guildford, Nov. 26, 1988); The Vessel, cantata for Soprano, Tenor, Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (Nottingham, Oct. 19, 1990).

—Nicolas Slominsky/Laura Kaun/Dennis McIntire