Turner, Robert (Comrie)

Turner, Robert (Comrie), Canadian composer and teacher; b. Montreal, June 6,1920. He was a student of Douglas Clarke and Claude Champagne at McGill Univ. in Montreal (B.Mus., 1943; D.Mus., 1953), of Howells and Jacob at the Royal Coll. of Music in London (1947-48), of Roy Harris at the George Peabody Coll. for Teachers in Nashville, Term. (M.Mus., 1950), and of Messiaen at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood (summer, 1949). From 1952 to 1968 he was senior music producer for the CBC in Vancouver. He taught at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver (1955-57), Acadia Univ. in Wolfville, Nova Scotia (1968-69), and the Univ. of Manitoba (1969-85), where he subsequently was prof. emeritus. In 1982 he held a Manitoba Arts Council grant. In 1987 he was a fellow at the MacDowell Colony. In 1990-91 he held a Canada Council Artists grant. He was awarded a commemorative medal marking the 125^thanniversary of Canadian confederation in 1992. His compositions are couched in an eclectic style that is both simple and complex, traditional and nontraditional, tonal and atonal, and lyrical and ironic.

Works

dramatic: The Brideship,lyric drama (1966-67; Vancouver, Dec. 12, 1967); Vile Shadows,opera (1982-83; rev. 1986); music for radio and television. ORCH.: Opening Night,theater overture (1955; Vancouver, Feb. 5,1956); Lyric Interlude (1956); Nocturne (1956-65; Vancouver, Feb. 7, 1968); A Children’s Overture (1958); The Pemberton Valley,suite (1958; rev. 1988; Winnipeg, Jan. 18, 1991); Robbins’ Round,concertino for Jazz Band (1959); 3 syms.: Sym. for Strings (1960; Montreal, March 27, 1961), Symphony in 1 Movement: Gift from the Sea (1983; Winnipeg, Dec. 5, 1986), and Sym. No. 3 (Winnipeg, Sept. 21, 1990); 3 Episodes (1963; Toronto, Feb. 27, 1966); Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orch. (1971; Winnipeg, Jan. 22,1972); Eidolons,12 images for Chamber Orch. (Vancouver, Sept. 12, 1972); Chamber Concerto for Bassoon and 17 Instruments (Vancouver, Sept. 15, 1973); Variations on The Prairie Settler’s Song (1974); Capriccio Concertantefor Cello, Piano, and Orch. (1975; Vancouver, May 5, 1976); From a Different Country: Homage to Gabrieli (1976); Encounters I-IXfor Various Soloists and Orch. (Winnipeg, July 12, 1985); Playhouse Music (1986); Viola Concerto (1987; Montreal, May 24, 1988); Shades of Autumn (1987; Edmonton, Sept. 21, 1990); Manitoba Memoirfor Strings (1989; Manitoba, Feb. 26,1991); House of Shadows (1994); Festival Dance (1997; Winnipeg, Jan. 30, 1998); Diverti- memento (1997; Winnipeg, Dec. 8, 1999). CHAMBER: 3 string quartets (1949, 1954, 1975); Lamentfor Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano (1951); Violin Sonata (1956); Little Suitefor Harp (1957); Vignettefor Clarinet and String Quartet (1958; rev. 1988); Variations and Toccatafor Woodwind Quintet and String Quintet (1959); Serenadefor Woodwind Quintet (1960); 4 Fragmentsfor Brass Quintet (1961); Fantasiafor Organ, Brass Quintet, and Timpani (1962); Diversitiesfor Violin, Piano, and Bassoon (1967); Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1969); Fantasy and Festivityfor Harp (1970); Nostalgiafor Soprano Saxophone and Piano (1972); Shadow Piecesfor Flute, Bassoon, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1981). KEYBOARD: P i an o : Sonata Lyrica (1955; rev. 1963); Dance of the Disenchanted (1959; rev. 1988); A Merry-Mournful Mood (1973); Vestiges (1987). O r g a n : 6 Voluntaries (1959). VOCAL: 2 Choral Pieces (1952); 4 Songs for High Voice and Piano (1959); Mobilefor Chorus and 7 Percussion (1960); Prophetic Songfor Women’s Chorus (1961); The 3^rdDayfor Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (Vancouver, April 25, 1962); The House of Christmasfor Chorus (1963); The Phoenix and the Turtlefor Mezzo-soprano and 8 Instruments (1964); Suite: In Homage to Melvillefor Soprano, Contralto, Viola, and Piano (1966); Johann’s Gift to Christmasfor Narrator and Orch. (1972); 5 Canadian Folksongsfor Chorus (1973); 10 Canadian Folksongsfor High and Medium Voice and Piano (1973; orchestrated 1980; Vancouver, March 25, 1987); Amoroso Cantofor Chorus (1978); Lament for Linosfor Reciter, Flute, Clarinet, and Piano (1978); Time for 3for Mezzo-soprano, Viola, and Piano (1985); A Group of 7for Reciter, Viola, and Orch. (1991; Ottawa, Oct. 28,1992); The River of Timefor Chorus and Orch. (1994; Winnipeg, Sept. 15,1995); 4 Last Songsfor Mezzo-soprano, Violin, and Piano (Winnipeg, Oct. 15, 1995).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire