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User:David Kernow/Gerard Victory

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[[Image:Gerard Victory (1921-1995), Irish composer.jpg|right|frame]]

Gerard Victory (December 24, 1921March 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.


Selected works

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Orchestral

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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'

Ensemble

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1990    Moresca violin, cello, harp 9'
1985 Commedia 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba     13'
1982 String Trio     violin, viola, cello 22'

Solo piano

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1979    Verona Preludes 22'
1966 Cinque Correlazioni 10'
1965 Three Masks 9'
1962 Prelude and Toccata     8'

Vocal

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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'

Band

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1985    Marche Bizarre     3'

Mixed media

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1973-1975    Processus     mixed choir, brass, percussion, pianos, tape     14'


Recordings

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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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