Douglas, Clive (Martin)

Douglas, Clive (Martin), Australian conductor and composer; b. Rushworth, Victoria, July 27, 1903; d. Melbourne, April 29, 1977. He received lessons in violin, piano, orchestration, and conducting before pursuing training with Nickson and Heinze at the Univ. of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Mus.B., 1934). In 1936 he joined the conducting staff of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, appearing as a conductor with its orchs. in Hobart (1936–41) and Brisbane (1941–47), and then as assoc. conductor in Sydney (1947–53) and assoc. and resident conductor in Melbourne (1953–66). In 1953 he received the Coronation Medal, in 1958 he was awarded a Doctor of Music degree from the Univ. of Melbourne, and in 1963 he was made a Life Fellow of the International Inst. of Arts and Letters. In many of his scores, Douglas made use of aboriginal melorhythmic patterns.

Works

DRAMATIC The Scarlet Letter, opera (1925–29; unfinished); Ashmadai, operetta (1929; 1934–35; 1st public perf. in a radio broadcast, Melbourne, Aug. 17, 1936); Kaditcha or A Bush Legend, operetta (1937–38; ABC, Tasmania, June 22, 1938; rev. 1956); Corroboree, ballet from the operetta Kaditcha (1939); Eleanor, Maid Rosamond, and Henry of Anjou, opera trilogy (1941—43); documentary film scores; music for radio and television. ORCH.: Symphonic Fantasy (1938); Carwoola (1939); Meet the Orchestra, educational suite (1944); 3 syms. (Jubilee, 1950; Namatjira, 1956; 1963); Sturt 1829 (1952); Essay for Strings (1952); Wangadilla Suite (1954); Festival in Natal (1954); Greet the Orchestra, educational suite (1955); Olympic Overture (1956); Coolawidgee, miniature suite for Small Orch. (1957); Sinfonietta: Festival of Perth (1961); Variations Symphoniques (1961); Fanfare Overture (1961); Divertimento II for 2 Pianos and Small Orch. (1962; rev. 1967); 4 Light Orchestra Pieces (1964); 3 Frescoes (1969); Movement in C Major on a Theme of Alfred Hill (1969); Pastoral (1970); Carnival (1970); Discourse for Strings (1971). CHAMBER: Divertimento I for Woodwind Quintet (1962–65). VOCAL: The Hound of Heaven for Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1933; rev. 1938); 5 Pastels for Soprano, Celesta, and Strings (1952); The Lakes of Tasmania for Voice and Orch. (1954); Song Landscape for Soprano or Tenor and String Orch. (1955); Terra Australia for Narrator, Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1959).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire