Thea Musgrave

Donald Macleod is in conversation with Thea Musgrave as she
celebrates her 90th birthday.


Donald and Thea begin by discussing her dream of becoming a
composer, and the dreams that have inspired her works. Born in
Edinburgh, Thea left her medical degree for music, winning a
composition prize which took her to Paris to study with Nadia
Boulanger. A dream about a subversive clarinettist helped formed
the idea for her breakthrough commission from the CBSO, the
Concerto for Orchestra. They talk about her early electronic
experimentation, and her idea of the dramatic abstract, where she
experiments with spatial configurations of players and acoustic
possibilities. Thea is also one of Britain’s most prolific living
opera composers, bringing to the stage stories of figures like
Mary Queen of Scots, Harriet Tubman, and Simón Bolívar. In 1970
she was offered the post of Guest Professor at the University of
California at Santa Barbara and has lived and made her life as a
composer in the States ever since. Donald asks her about her
approach to teaching and encouraging young composers. They look
at the importance of visual art in Thea’s life and imagination,
leading to significant compositions inspired by Edward Hopper and
J. M. W. Turner. Finally, Thea reflects on the continuing
pleasure she derives from composing, as well as her on-going
friendships with players, and she stresses the vital part that
music plays in all of our lives.


Music featured: Driving in the Highlands (Excursions for piano
duet) Four Madrigals Rorate Coeli Impromptu for flute and oboe
Concerto for Orchestra Niobe for oboe and pre-recorded tape
Concerto for horn and orchestra Wild Winter I The Peace Chorus
(Mary Queen of Scots, Act 1) The Seasons Helios - Concerto for
oboe and orchestra On the Underground, Set 2: The Strange and the
Exotic Night Windows for oboe and piano Turbulent Landscapes for
orchestra On the Underground, Set 1: Sometimes Songs for a
Winter’s Evening Two’s Company – a concerto for percussion and
orchestra


Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Rosie Boulton for BBC Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Thea Musgrave:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000kg9


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z