Matthew Curtis (composer)
{{short description|British classical composer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Matthew Curtis
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1959}}
| birth_place = Cumbria, England
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| occupation = Composer
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Matthew Curtis (born 1959 in Cumbria, England) is a British classical composer.
Life and career
Matthew Curtis was born in Cumbria, England in 1959. He is essentially self-taught as a composer and orchestrator. While he was a student at Worcester College, Oxford reading Classics, his work, including a symphony,{{cite web|title=List of British symphonies 1950-99|date=19 April 2013 |url=https://atuneadayblogdotcom.wordpress.com/british-symphonies-1950-1999/|accessdate=16 June 2016}} first began to receive public performance.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/12th.htm|website=MusicWeb International|title=MusicWeb International 12th Garland of British Light Music Composers, March 1998|accessdate=22 May 2016}}
On leaving university he was introduced to the late Alan Owen, a composer and BBC Radio staff producer, who took an interest in his music. This led to numerous broadcasts of his work from 1982 onward in the UK, notably BBC Radio,{{cite web|url=http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=asc&q=%22matthew+curtis%22#search|website=BBC|title=BBC Radio 3 list of Matthew Curtis performances to 2009|accessdate=22 May 2016}} and in several other countries.
For examples see:
- {{cite web|website=abc.net.au|title=Playlist for ABC Classic FM 1 Feb 2009 (one of at least 13 Australian broadcasts of Curtis to 2016)|url=http://www.abc.net.au/classic/daily/stories/s2463802.htm|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- {{cite web|title=Playlist for Minnesota Public Radio 16 Dec 2015 (one of at least 11 US broadcasts of Curtis to 2016)|url=http://www.classicalmpr.org/playlist/classical-mpr/2015-12-16|website=classicalmpr.org|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/site-1999/cf/pl/PLDec06_12Dec.htm|website=radionz.co.nz|title=Playlist for Radio NZ 6 Dec 2003|accessdate=16 June 2016}}}
- {{cite web|title=Playlist for ORF 1 (Austrian radio) 27 Jun 2012|url=http://oe1.orf.at/programm/305209|website=oe1.orf.at|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- {{cite web|title=Playlist for Catalunya Música 1 Jun 2012|url=http://www.ccma.cat/premsa/catalunya-musica-transmet-el-concert-de-mark-bebbington-i-lorquestra-de-concerts-de-la-bbc/nota-de-premsa/2536938/|website=ccma.cat|date=29 May 2012 |accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- {{cite news|title=Playlist for sverigesradio P2 (Swedish radio)|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=4427&artikel=5217767|newspaper=Sveriges Radio| date=6 August 2012 |accessdate=3 October 2016}} In 2001 he came to the notice of the composer and record producer Philip Lane, resulting in a significant discography and over 8 hours of music recorded.{{efn|As of November 2016, the total run time of all the CDs/Tracks comes to 486 minutes 43 seconds.}}
His music has been played in concert by the BBC Concert Orchestra{{cite web|title=Programme of 'Light Fantastic' concert in Plymouth on 27 June 2011|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0124ryn|website=BBC|accessdate=16 June 2016}} and I Musici de Montréal.{{cite web|title=Montreal Gazette review dated 12 May 2007|url=http://www.pressreader.com/canada/montreal-gazette/20070512/282527244002354|via=PressReader|accessdate=16 June 2016}} and by several non-professional and youth orchestras, most notably the National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain, for which he has composed a number of pieces.{{cite web|title=Diamond Jubilee Glee: NCO play in the presence of HM the Queen on 8 Jun 2012|url=http://www.nco.org.uk/about/news/diamond-jubilee-glee/|website=NCO.org.uk|accessdate=16 June 2016}} Curtis was commissioned to compose for the English Music Festival{{cite web|title=Report of the 2008 festival|url=https://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/2008report.html|website=English Music Festival|accessdate=16 June 2016}} in 2008, and his Festival Overture opened the final concert of the event.
Curtis is probably best known for his short orchestral pieces in the British light music tradition (he has been seen as part of the "renaissance" of British Light Music{{cite book|last1=Payne|first1=Michael|title=The Life and Music of Eric Coates|date=2012|publisher=Ashgate Publishing Limited|location=UK|isbn=978-1-4094-3409-2|page=6}} and singled out for praise in an article in The Spectator among other things discussing the neglect of light classical music{{cite web|title=Great inspirations: Article dated 13 Feb 2008|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2008/02/great-inspirations/|website=The Spectator|accessdate=16 June 2016}}), but his output extends to more substantial works for orchestra, chamber music, songs and choral works. Reviews of his work in Gramophone,{{cite web|title=Gramophone index of reviews for Matthew Curtis (in issues 3/03, 8/03, 10/03, 5/05, 12/06, 6/07)|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/composers/matthew-curtis-93980|website=Gramophone|accessdate=22 May 2016}} on MusicWeb International, an extensive review of his early work by the British Music Society,{{cite web|title=In depth review of Curtis music to 1997 |url=http://www.britishclassicalmusic.com/curtis.html |website=britishclassicalmusic.com |accessdate=18 November 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010423073836/http://www.britishclassicalmusic.com/curtis.html |archivedate=23 April 2001 }} and other reviews of recordings devoted to his orchestral works in the British Composer Series{{cite web|title=Review of Curtis Orchestral Works vol 2 (p. 13)|url=http://www.thefrms.co.uk/pastbulletins/bulletin144.pdf|website=The Federation of Recorded Music Societies|accessdate=18 November 2016}}{{cite web|title=Review of Curtis Orchestral Works volume 1|url=http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cmp02015a.php|website=ClassicalNet|accessdate=18 November 2016}} all draw attention to his emphasis on and mastery of melody and orchestral colouring, and make stylistic references to Edward Elgar, Eric Coates and Haydn Wood among others.
A showcase of his work was given on 21 September 2018 at the Hastings and Bexhill International Composers Festival.
Recordings
=Devoted to Curtis in the British Composer Series=
- Paths to Urbino: Orchestral Works Volume I Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland Cameo 2015 (2002){{cite web|title=Curtis, M Orchestral Works|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/curtis-m-orchestral-works|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Orchestral Works Volume II Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland Cameo 2035 (2004){{cite web|title=Curtis Orchestral Works Vol 2|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/curtis-orchestral-works-vol-2|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Orchestral Works Volume III Jennifer Stinton (flute), Verity Butler (clarinet), Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland Cameo 2055 (2005){{cite web|title=Curtis, M Orchestral Works Vol 3|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/curtis-m-orchestral-works-vol-3|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Song Cycles Marie Vassiliou (soprano), Gavin Sutherland (piano) Cameo 2060 (2007){{cite web|title=Curtis Chamber Works Vol 1|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/curtis-chamber-works-vol-1|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Orchestral Works Volume IV Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland Cameo 2085 (2011){{cite web|title=CURTIS Orchestral Works Vol 4|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Oct11/Curtis_4_2085.htm|website=MusicWeb International|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Orchestral Works Volume V Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland Cameo 2090 (2016){{cite web|title=CURTIS Orchestral Works Vol 5|url=http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Jun/Curtis_orchestral_v5_2090.htm|website=MusicWeb International|accessdate=16 June 2016}}{{efn|Campion Cameo, issued by Disc Imports Limited, trading as DI Music}}
=Other recordings=
- Serenade (in three movements) Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland included in British String Miniatures 2 ASV White Line WHL 2136 (2003){{cite web|title=British String Miniatures Vol 2|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/british-string-miniatures-vol-2|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Open Road Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Gavin Sutherland included in British Light Overtures 3 ASV White Line WHL 2140 (2003){{cite web|title=British Light Overtures Volume 3|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/british-light-overtures-volume-3|website=Gramophone|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Irish Lullaby Verity Butler (clarinet), Gavin Sutherland (piano) included in Clarinet Kaleidoscope Vol 2 Cameo 2058 (2007){{cite web|title=Clarinet Kaleidoscope Vol 2|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/May07/Clarinet_Cameo2058.htm|website=MusicWeb International|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Christmas Rush RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Gavin Sutherland included in Another Night Before Christmas and Scrooge Naxos 8.572744 (2011){{cite web|title=Another Night Before Christmas and Scrooge|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/Another_Night_Before_Christmas_8572744.htm|website=MusicWeb International|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- Christmas Spirit RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Gavin Sutherland included in The Spirit of Christmas Heritage HTGCD299 (2015){{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s75n3|website=BBC|title=BBC Radio 3 CD Review 19 Dec 2015|accessdate=16 June 2016}}
- A Festival Overture BBC Concert Orchestra, Owain Arwel Hughes included in Now Comes Beauty EM Records CD037 (2016){{cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Jul/Beauty_EMRCD037.htm|website=MusicWeb International|title="Now Comes Beauty"|accessdate=3 October 2016}}
Notes
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References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
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Category:20th-century British classical composers