Saxton, Robert (Louis Alfred)

Saxton, Robert (Louis Alfred), English composer and teacher; b. London, Oct. 8, 1953. He was a student of Elisabeth Lutyens (1970–74), of Robin Holloway at St. Catherine’s Coll., Cambridge (1972–75; B.A.), of Robert Sherlaw Johnson at Worcester Coll., Oxford (1975–76; B.Mus.), and of Luciano Berio (1976–77). In 1979 he became a teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he headed its composition dept. from 1990. His music reveals fine craftsmanship and harmonic invention.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Caritas (1990–91). orch.: Reflections of Narziss and Goìàmunà (1975; Royan, April 8, 1977); Choruses to Apollo (1980; London, Jan. 28, 1981); Traumstadt (Harrogate, Aug. 12, 1980); Ring of Eternity (1982–83; London, Aug. 24, 1983); Concerto for Orchestra (London, Aug. 13, 1984); The Circles of Light, chamber sym. (1985–86; London, March 5, 1986); Viola Concerto (Cheltenham, July 9, 1986); Variation on “Sutner is icumen in” (Aldeburgh, June 13, 1987); Fanfare (Porvoo, Finland, June 18, 1987); In the Beginning (1987; London, Jan. 30, 1988); Birthday Music for Sir William dock (BBC Radio 3, London, May 3, 1988); Elijah’s Violin (1988; London, Feb. 13, 1989); Music to Celebrate the Resurrection of Christ (1988; BBC 2 TV, London, March 26, 1989); Violin Concerto (1989; Leeds, June 22, 1990); Psalm—A Song of Ascents for Trumpet and Orch. (1992; London, Jan. 23, 1983); Cello Concerto (1992; London, March 18, 1993); Ring, Time for Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1994; London, Feb. 9, 1995); Carmen Natale for Strings (Bristol, Nov. 15, 1996); A Yardstick to the Stars for Chamber Orch. (1998; also for Piano and String Quartet, Durham, Feb. 28, 1995). chamber: Krystallen for Flute and Piano (1973; BBC Radio 3, London, Jan. 28, 1975); Echoes of the Glass Bead Game for Wind Quintet (1975; London, June 28, 1977); Arias for Oboe and Piano (1977; London, April 6, 1978); Toccata for Cello (Norfolk, Aug. 19, 1978); Canzona—in memoriam Igor Stravinsky for Chamber Ensemble (1978; Newcastle upon Tyne, Feb. 23, 1979); Processions and Dances for Chamber Ensemble (London, July 6, 1981); Piccola musica per Luigi Dallapiccola for Chamber Ensemble (Montepulciano, Aug. 5, 1981); Chiaroscuro for Percussion (1981; Keele, Jan. 21, 1982); Fantasiestück for Accordion (1982); The Sentinel of the Rainbow for Chamber Ensemble (London, Oct. 24, 1984); Birthday Piece for RRB (Richard Rodney Bennett)for Chamber Ensemble (London, March 20, 1986); Night Dance for Guitar (1986–87; London, April 5, 1987); Paraphrase on Mozart’s “Idomeneo” for Wind Octet (Glyndebourne, June 15, 1991); Invocation, Dance, and Meditation for Viola and Piano (Lichfield, July 6, 1991); Fantazia for String Quartet (1993; London, April 5, 1994); A Yardstick to the Stars for Piano and String Quartet (Durham, Feb. 28, 1995; also for Chamber Orch., 1998); Songs, Dances, and Ellipses for String Quartet (London, Nov. 5, 1997). Piano: Ritornelli and Intermezzi (London, Nov. 1972); 2 Pieces (1976); Sonatas for 2 Pianos (London, Dec. 1, 1977); Sonata “in Memory of Bela Bartók” (Cambridge, Aug. 19, 1981); Chacony for Piano, Left-Hand (Aldeburgh, June 20, 1988); Fantazia on the Notes E, Eb, C, B, and A (London, Dec. 11, 1996). vocal: La Promenade d’Automne for Soprano and 6 Players (1972); Where Are You Going to My Pretty Maid? for Soprano and 6 Players (1973); What Does the Song Hope For? for Soprano, Chamber Ensemble, and Tape, after Auden (1974; Hildersum, Sept. 1975); Brise Marine for Soprano, Piano, and Tape (1976); Cantata[No. 1] on Poems of Hölderlin for Tenor, Countertenor, and Piano (London, Oct. 6, 1979), No. 2 for Tenor, Oboe, and Piano (London, July 14, 1980), and No. 3 for 2 Sopranos and Tape Delay (London, Dec. 12, 1981); Eloge for Soprano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Piano, and String Quartet (London, Nov. 26, 1980); Chaconne for Double Chorus (London, July 13, 1981); Child of Light for Women’s Voices and Organ (1984); I Will Awake the Dawn for Double Chorus (1986–87; London, Sept. 10, 1987); Rex Gloriae for Women’s Voices and Organ (Gloucester, July 8, 1988); At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners for Chorus (London, July 5, 1992); Prayer to a Child for Soprano and 2 Clarinets (Birmingham, Sept. 20, 1992); O Sing Unto the Lord a New Song for Chorus and Organ (London, Nov. 24, 1993); Canticum Luminis for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1994; Cambridge, March 11, 1995); Prayer Before Sleep for Soprano, Cello, and Piano (London, Dec. 8, 1997).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire