Harrison Birtwistle
Born: 15th July 1934, Accrington, England
Died: 18th April 2022, Mere, Wiltshire
Nationality: English
Sir Harrison Birtwistle was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include The Triumph of Time (1972) and the operas The Mask of Orpheus (1986), Gawain (1991), and The Minotaur (2008). The last of these was ranked by music critics at The Guardian in 2019 as the third-best piece of the 21st century. Even his compositions that were not written for the stage often showed a theatrical approach. A performance of his saxophone concerto Panic during the BBC's Last Night of the Proms caused "national notoriety".
Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Birtwistle
Browse: Birtwistle
Further Reading: Birtwistle
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Sean Shibe on Vesper
25th May 2026
The Scottish guitarist discusses his new album of works by Thomas Adès, Harrison Birtwistle and James Dillon, released on Pentatone last month.
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Harrison Birtwistle (1934-2022)
19th Apr 2022
The radical English composer, famous particularly for his operas on mythological themes, has died aged 87.
Popular Genres: Birtwistle
Popular Works: Birtwistle
- 5 Distances for 5 Instruments (2)
- Berceuse de Jeanne (2)
- Carmen Arcadiae Mechanicae Perpetuum (2)
- Crowd (2)
- Earth Dances (5)
- Endless Parade (3)
- Five Distances (3)
- Gawain's Journey (4)
- Grimethorpe Aria (1)
- Harrison’s Clocks (3)
- Hector's Dawn (2)
- Hoquetus Petrus (2)
- Lied for piano & cello (2)
- Lullaby (2)
- Meridian (2)
- Nenia: The Death Of Orpheus (3)
- Nine Settings for Lorine Niedecker for Soprano and cello (2)
- Oockooing Bird (4)
- Orpheus Elegies (2)
- Orpheus Elegies for oboe, harp & counter-tenor (1)
- Panic (5)
- Precis (2)
- Pulse Sampler (3)
- Punch and Judy (1)
- Ritual Fragment (5)
- Sad Song (2)
- Saraband - The Kings’ Farewell (2)
- Secret Theatre (5)
- Silbury Air (2)
- Songs by Myself (2)
- The Fields of Sorrow (1)
- The Minotaur (2)
- The Triumph of Time (5)
- This Silence before Light (1)
- Three Bach Arias for soprano, counter- tenor, oboe and ensemble (1)
- Three Settings of Celan (3)
- Tragoedia (6)
- Trio for violin, violoncello and piano (2)
- Variations from the Golden Mountain (2)
- Verses (3)
Recent Best Sellers: Birtwistle
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Vesper | Adès - Birtwistle - Dillon
Sean Shibe (guitar)
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Gramophone Magazine, May 2026, Editor's Choice
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Gramophone Awards, 2026 Shortlist, Contemporary
CD: $19.00Download from $10.25 -
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Visions
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Tamara Stefanovich (piano)
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BBC Music Magazine, December 2022, Instrumental Choice
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2022
CD: $13.00Download from $10.00 -
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Harrison Birtwistle: Chamber Works
The Nash Ensemble
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Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2022
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Gramophone Magazine, Critics' Choice 2022
SACD: $18.00 -
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Variations
Clare Hammond (piano)
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International Classical Music Awards, 2022, Nominated - Solo Instrument
SACD: $18.00 -
