Lumsdaine, David (Newton)

Lumsdaine, David (Newton), Australian composer and teacher; b. Sydney, Oct. 31, 1931. He studied in Sydney at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music (piano, viola, and theory) and at the Univ. (composition with Raymond Hanson; B.A., 1953) before pursuing his studies in London with Seiber (1954–56) and at the Royal Academy of Music with Berkeley (1956–57). He was a lecturer at the Univ. of Durham (1970–81), where he was founder of an electronic music studio; he was awarded a Mus.Doc. there in 1981. In 1976 he served as a visiting prof. at the Univ. of Adelaide and in 1979 was composer-in-residence at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, sharing the latter position with his wife, Nicola LeFanu, whom he married that year. He was a senior lecturer at King’s Coll., Univ. of London, from 1981. In his music, Lumsdaine has pursued a highly complex but thoroughly individual mode of expression that ranges from the use of traditional instruments to the application of electronics.

Works

orch.:Variations (1960); Short Symphony (1961); Bach Music (1965); Episodes (1968–69); Salvation Creek with Eagle for Chamber Orch. (1974); Sunflower: To the Memory of Luigi Dallapiccola (1975); Evensong for Brass Band (1975); Hagoromo (1977); Shoalhaven for Small Orch. (1982); Mandala V (1988); The Arc of Stars for Strings (1990–91); Garden of Earthly Delights, fantasia for Cello and Orch. (1992). chamber:Mandala I for Wind Quartet (1967), II for Flute, Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Percussion (1969); III for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Chinese Bell (1978), and IV for String Quartet (1983); Looking Glass Music for Brass Quintet and Tape (1970); Kangaroo Hunt for Piano and Percussion (1971); Caliban Trio for Piano Trio, Tape, and Live Electronics (1972); Bagatelles for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1985); Empty Sky, Mootwingee for Flute, Trombone or Horn, Cello, Pitched Percussion, and 2 Pianos (1986); A Dance and a Hymn for Alexander Maconochie for Flute, Clarinet, Percussion, Mandolin, Guitar, Violin, and Double Bass (1988); Round Dance for Sitar, Tabla, Flute, Cello, and Keyboard (1989); Sine nome for Alto Saxophone or Clarinet and Pitched Percussion (1990); Blue Upon Blue for Cello (1991). piano:Ruhe Sanfte, Sanfte Ruh’ (1964); Kelly Ground (1966); Flights for 2 Pianos (1967); Cambewarra (1980). vocal:The Ballad of Perse O’Reilly for Tenor, Men’s Chorus, and 2 Pianos (1953–81); Missa brevis for Chorus and Organ (1964); Annotations of Auschwitz for Soprano, Flute or Trumpet, Horn, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1964); Dum medium silentium for Chorus (1964–75); Easter Fresco for Soprano, Flute, Horn, Harp, and Piano (1966); Aria for Edward John Eyre for Soprano, Narrators, Chamber Ensemble, Tape, and Live Electronics (1972); My Sister’s Song for Soprano (1975); Tides for Narrator, 12 Voices, and Percussion (1979); What Shall I Sing? for Soprano and 2 Clarinets (1982); Where the Lilies Grow for Chamber Chorus (1985); Just So Stories for Narrator, Dancers, and Computer-generated Tape (1990); A Tree Telling of Orpheus for Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1990). other:Big Meeting for Tape (1978); Wild Ride to Heaven, radiophonie piece (1980; in collaboration with N. LeFanu); 4 Soundscapes, field recordings (1990); Soundscape 5: Cambewarra (1991).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire