T he Living Composers Project

Barrett, Richard (b. November 7, 1959, Swansea, Wales). British composer of mostly chamber, vocal and electroacoustic works that have been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere.

Mr. Barrett initially studied genetics at the University College London from 1977–80, during which time he began composing. He subsequently studied composition with Peter Wiegold from 1980–83 and attended Darmstadt in 1984, where he had fruitful contact with Brian Ferneyhough and Hans-Joachim Hespos.

His honors include the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at Darmstadt (1986) and First Prize in the Gaudeamus competition (1989). He later worked as a guest of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (2001–02). His works have been performed by Accroche-Note, the Arditti String Quartet, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Cikada, Ensemble Köln, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, and the Nieuw Ensemble. He has developed a particularly close relationship with the ensemble Elision since 1990, which has led to numerous premières, including two evening-length works and projects involving improvisation and collaboration with visual artists.

Mr. Barrett is also active in other positions. As an improviser, he has collaborated with numerous soloists, including Peter van Bergen, Aleksander Kolkowski, George E. Lewis, Evan Parker, and Ute Wassermann, and co-founded with Paul Obermayer the live electronics duo FURT in 1986, with which he regularly performs. He served as co-director with Roger Redgate of Ensemble Exposé in London from 1984–93 and as composer-in-residence to the Belgian ensemble Champ d'Action in 1997–98. In addition, he has written on musical topics for various journals, including Contemporary Music Review and The Wire.

He lectured at Darmstadt from 1986–94 and taught composition at Middlesex College in London from 1989–92 and electronic composition and performance at the Institute of Sonology of the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag from 1995–2001. He has taught composition at Brunel University in London since 2006.

United Music Publishers publishes his works.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: richard@furtlogic.com

Website (publisher): http://www.ump.co.uk/composer%20pages/barrett.htm

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

STAGE: Unter Wasser (music theatre work, text by Margret Kreidl), mezzo-soprano, flute, 2 clarinets, 2 French horns, trombone, guitar (+ mandolin, zither), 2 violins, 2 violas (2nd + violin), cello, percussion, 1994–98

ORCHESTRAL: Vanity, large orchestra (83 players), 1990–94; NO – resistance & vision 1, large orchestra, 1999–2004

CHAMBER MUSIC: Essay in Radiance, piccolo (+ bass flute), E-flat clarinet (+ bass clarinet), soprano saxophone (+ tenor saxophone), violin (+ viola), cello, electronic organ/synthesizer, 1-2 percussion, 1981–83; Ne songe plus à fuir – After Matta 2, amplified cello, 1985–86; Anatomy – Fictions 1, amplified ensemble (flute, English horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, string quartet, double bass, percussion), 1985–86; Temptation – Fictions 2, alto saxophone (+ baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet), trumpet (+ piccolo trumpet, cornet, slide trumpet), cello, synthesizer, percussion, live electronics, 1986; Alba – Fictions 3, amplified bassoon, 1986–87; I open and close – Fictions 6, string quartet, amplification ad libitum, 1983–88 (one section may be performed separately: reticule, violin, 1988); EARTH – Fictions 5, trombone, percussion, 1987–88; Dark ages – Fictions 9, cello (with 2 bows), 1987–90; Another heavenly day – Fictions 7, E-flat clarinet, electric guitar, double bass, live electronics, 1989–90; what remains, flute, bass clarinet, piano, 1990–91; praha, cello (with 2 bows), 1991; colloid-E – negatives 2, amplified 10-string guitar, ensemble (flute, trombone, mandolin, double bass, percussion), 1988–92 (may be performed without ensemble as colloid, 1988–91); archipelago – negatives 3, amplified mandolin, ensemble (bass flute [+ alto recorder], trombone, amplified 10-string guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion), 1990–92; basalt-E – negatives 4, trombone, ensemble (violin, viola, cello, double bass, percussion), 1990–92 (may be performed without ensemble as basalt, 1990–91)

CHAMBER MUSIC: delta – negatives 1, alto flute, trombone, amplified sitar, amplified 10-string guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, angklung (Indonesian bamboo rattle), 1990–93; entstellt – negatives 5, piccolo, trombone (+ percussion), amplified sitar (+ percussion), amplified 12-string guitar (+ percussion), violin (+ percussion), viola (+ percussion), cello, double bass (+ percussion), angklung (Indonesian bamboo rattle), 1990–93; air, violin, 1993 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); trace, 2 diatonic music boxes, 1994; ruin – Fictions 11, 6 spatial ensembles (2 amplified flutes, soprano saxophone; clarinet, bass clarinet, French horn; 2 trombones, tuba; 2 violins, viola; 2 celli, double bass; 3 amplified percussion), 1985–95; CHARON, bass clarinet, 1994–95 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); inward, amplified flute, amplified percussion, 1994–95 (version of Schneebett from Opening of the Mouth); von hinter dem Schmerz, amplified cello, 1992–96 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); abglanzbeladen/auseinandergeschrieben, percussion, 1992–96 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); binary, 2 flutes, 1996; fluxion, improvisational ensemble (bass clarinet/tenor saxophone, electric guitar, bass guitar/double bass, piano, percussion), 1996; Partikelgestöber, C-clarinet, 17-string koto, mandola, 10-string guitar, 1992–97 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed as knospend-gespaltener, C-clarinet, 1992–93); Trawl, flute, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1994–97; Stress, string quartet, 1996–97

CHAMBER MUSIC: transmission, electric guitar, live electronics, 1996–99 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately); Die allerschönste Seite..., bass flute, 1998–2000; Liebestod, 4 recorders, live electronics, 1999–2000; stirrings, flute (+ piccolo, alto flute, bass flute), bass clarinet, piano, percussion, string quartet, double bass, 1999–2001 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately); khasma, string quartet, double bass, live electronics, 1999–2001 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately); The Empire of Lights, flute (+ piccolo), clarinet (+ E-flat clarinet), Hardanger fiddle, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, percussion, 2000–01 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately); codex, any 6-12 improvisational players, 2001; Blattwerk, cello, live electronics, 1999–2002; codex II, improvisational ensemble (oboe, saxophone, piano), live electronics, 2001–02; faux départs, piano (+ bicycle horn), string quartet, 1999–2003; 13 selfportraits, string quartet, 2001–03; Illuminer le temps – After Matta 3, amplified ensemble (piccolo [+ flute], bass clarinet [+ clarinet], harp, 2 electric guitars, violin, double bass, percussion), 1984–2005; nothing elsewhere – Fictions 4, viola, 1987–2005; Flechtwerk, A-clarinet, piano, 2004–06; Melos, tenor recorder (+ bass recorder), flügelhorn, quarter-tone baroque harp, electric guitar, percussion, live electronics, 2004–06

VOCAL: Principia (text by A.L. Jones, after Sir Isaac Newton), baritone, piano, 1982–84; Coïgitum – After Matta 1, mezzo-soprano, alto flute, oboe d'amore, piano, percussion, 1983–85; lieder vom wasser – Fictions 10 (text by Elisabeth Borchers), soprano, bass clarinet, double bass, percussion, 1989–90; Opening of the Mouth (text by Paul Celan), soprano, mezzo-soprano, 9 amplified players, tapes, live electronics, 1992–97 (ten sections may be performed separately: air; CHARON; Schneebett, soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass recorder, amplified flute, Hardanger fiddle, amplified percussion, 1994–96 [may be performed as inward, amplified flute, amplified percussion]; Largo, soprano, koto, cello, 1994–96; von hinter dem Schmerz; abglanzbeladen/auseinandergeschrieben; Partikelgestöber [may be performed as knospend-gespaltener]; Tenebræ, mezzo-soprano, ensemble ad libitum [electric guitar, sampler, percussion], live electronics, 1994–97; Zungenentwurzeln; Landschaft mit Urnenwesen); interference (text by Lucretius), contrabass clarinet (+ voice, pedal bass drum), 1996–2000 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately or with ensemble [2 flutes, 3 clarinets, electric guitar, 2 violins, 2 celli, American organ/synthesizer, 2 percussion] as Ars Magna Lucis et Umbræ, 1996–2001); De vita coelitus comparanda (text from the Orphic Hymn No. 86), soprano, 3 clarinets, steel-string guitar, 2-3 celli, percussion, 1998–2001 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately); other times, soprano, 2 flutes, 3 clarinets, electric guitar, Hardanger fiddle, violin, viola, cello, double bass, bass guitar, 2 percussion, 1999–2002 (section of DARK MATTER; may be performed separately)

PIANO: Invention 6, 1982; Tract – Fictions 8, piano, amplification ad libitum, 1984–96 (one section may be performed separately: the light gleams an instant, 1989–96); lost, 2004

ELECTROACOUSTIC: The Unthinkable – After Matta 4, tape, 1988–89; Zungenentwurzeln, tape, 1996–97 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); Landschaft mit Urnenwesen, tape, 1996–97 (section of Opening of the Mouth; may be performed separately); involuntary, tape, 1999; DARK MATTER (texts from the Egyptian Pyramid Texts, Hesiod, Anaxagoras, Hippolytus, Melissos, Heracleitus, Orphic Hymn No. 86, Lucretius, Blaise Pascal, Samuel Beckett, the composer), soprano, 2 flutes, 3 clarinets, guitar (+ bass guitar), electric guitar, 2 violins (both + Hardanger fiddle), viola, 2 celli, double bass, piano/synthesizer (+ American organ), 2 percussion, tape, live electronics, sound installation (by Per Inge Bjørlo), 1990–2002 (nine sections may be performed separately: transmission; Katasterismoi, tape, 1998–99; interference [may be performed as Ars Magna Lucis et Umbræ]; De vita coelitus comparanda; stirrings; khasma; The Empire of Lights; other times; pralaya, tape, 1999–2002); UnzeitGemäss, live electronics, 2002; M87, live electronics, 2002 (also longer version, 2003); involuntary 3, live electronics, 2003

(Last updated on July 14, 2006)