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[[Image:Gerard Victory (1921-1995), Irish composer.jpg|right|frame]]
Gerard Victory (December 24, 1921 – March 14, 1995) was a prolific Irish composer, writing over two hundred works across many genres and styles including tonal, serial, aleatoric and electroacoustic music.
Victory was born in Dublin, Ireland. After schooling, he read Celtic Studies at University College, Dublin and Music at Trinity College, Dublin, earning a doctorate in 1972. In terms of composition, Victory was mostly self-taught, although he received some formal training from John Larchett, Alan Rawsthorne and Walter Beckett. He also attended the International Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt.
Victory's career was primarily in music administration, serving as Director of Music for Ireland's national broadcasting station RTÉ from 1967 to 1982. He was a president of UNESCO's International Rostrum of Composers, a Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy of Music and a recipient of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and German Bundesverdienstkreuz. He died in Dublin aged 73, on March 14, 1995.
A few years before his death Victory was asked the old question of which one work he would choose to survive his others. He chose his Third Symphony (1984), which to date (2006) has been published but not recorded commercially.
[edit] Selected works
[edit] Orchestral
1991 |
Eblana |
45' |
1988 |
Symphony No. 4 |
21' |
1984 |
Symphony No. 3 |
40' |
1982 |
Five Inventions |
14' |
1981 |
Six Epiphanies of the Author |
30' |
1980 |
Three Irish Pictures |
12' |
1973 |
From Renoir's Workshop |
18' |
1970 |
Cyrano de Bergerac Overture |
7' |
1966 |
Favola di Notte |
13' |
[edit] Ensemble
1990 |
Moresca |
violin, cello, harp |
9' |
1985 |
Commedia |
2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba |
13' |
1982 |
String Trio |
violin, viola, cello |
22' |
[edit] Solo piano
1979 |
Verona Preludes |
22' |
1966 |
Cinque Correlazioni |
10' |
1965 |
Three Masks |
9' |
1962 |
Prelude and Toccata |
8' |
1994 |
The Wooing of Éadaoin |
children's opera |
20' |
1991 |
Responsibilities |
SATB choir |
13' |
1991 |
Seasons of Eros |
baritone, piano |
25' |
1989 |
The Rendezvous |
soloists, orchestra |
60' |
1984 |
Songs from Lyonnesse |
SATB choir |
23' |
1978 |
Seven Songs of Experience |
soloists, SATB choir |
23' |
1975-1981 |
Ultima Rerum |
soloists, two choirs, orchestra |
82' |
1975 |
Cinq Chansons de Rimbaud |
soprano, piano |
18' |
1970 |
The Magic Trumpet |
speaker, ensemble |
15' |
1968 |
Civitas Nova |
soloists, SATB choir, organ |
12' |
1967 |
Kriegsleider |
tenor, SATB choir, trumpet, percussion |
14' |
1962 |
Le Petit Cerf |
soprano, SATB choir |
6' |
[edit] Mixed media
1973-1975 |
Processus |
mixed choir, brass, percussion, pianos, tape |
14' |
[edit] Recordings
Three Irish Pictures |
Romantic Ireland, RTÉ Sinfonietta cond. P. Ó Duinn; Marco Polo: 1996. |
Songs from Lyonnesse |
Pie Jesu, National Chamber Choir of Ireland cond. Colin Mawby; Black Box: 2000. |
Ultima Rerum |
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra and soloists cond. Colman Pearce; Marco Polo: 1997. |
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