John Tavener
Sir John Kenneth Tavener (28 January 1944 – 12 November 2013) was an English composer, known for his extensive output of choral religious works. Among his best known works are The Lamb (1982), The Protecting Veil (1988), and Song for Athene (1993).
Tavener first came to prominence with his cantata
Early life and education
Tavener was born on 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London.[7] His parents ran a family building firm[3] and his father was also an organist at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Frognal, Hampstead.[8] At the age of 12, Tavener was taken to Glyndebourne to hear Mozart's The Magic Flute, a work he loved for the rest of his life.[9] That same year he heard Stravinsky's most recent work, Canticum Sacrum, which he later described as "the piece that woke me up and made me want to be a composer".[9]
Tavener became a music scholar at
Tavener entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1962, where his tutors included Sir Lennox Berkeley.[3][9] During his studies there he decided to give up the piano and devote himself to composition.[9]
The Whale and early operas
Tavener first came to prominence in 1968 with his dramatic cantata The Whale, based on the Old Testament story of
Tavener had also been deeply affected by his brief 1974 marriage to the Greek dancer Victoria Maragopoulou.
Conversion to Orthodox Christianity
Tavener converted to the Orthodox Church in 1977.
Later career
Tavener's subsequent explorations of Russian and Greek culture resulted in Akhmatova Requiem: this failed to enjoy success either at its Edinburgh Festival premiere in 1981, or at its
Tavener's Fall and Resurrection, first performed in 2000, used instruments such as
It had been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left
In 2020 Sir David Pountney, former artistic director of the Welsh National Opera, announced that Tavener's final opera, Krishna (which was completed in 2005 but had remained in manuscript form) would be staged by Grange Park Opera in 2024. Pountney himself will be directing the production.[23]
Personal life
In 1974 he married the Greek dancer Victoria Maragopoulou, but it only lasted eight months.[3][9] In 1991 he married Maryanna Schaefer with whom he had three children, Theodora, Sofia and Orlando.[3][24] He had considerable health problems throughout his life. He had a stroke in his thirties, heart surgery and the removal of a tumour in his forties, and had two successive heart attacks which left him frail.[25] He was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome in 1990.[3][26][27] Lady Tavener broadcast a charity appeal on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008 on behalf of the Marfan Trust.[28]
Tavener had an interest in classic cars, owning an
Death and legacy
Tavener died, aged 69, on 12 November 2013 at his home in
Rutter describes Tavener as having the "very rare gift" of being able to "bring an audience to a deep silence."[32] According to Isserlis: "He had his own voice. He wasn't writing to be popular – he was writing the music he had to write."[32]
Musical style
While Tavener's earliest music was influenced by
Career highlights
- 1968 – Applelabel.
- 1971 – A Celtic Requiem recorded by Apple.
- 1973 – Thérèse, the story of Royal Opera, London.
- 1989 – premiere of The Protecting Veil at the Proms in London.
- 2000 – premiere of Fall and Resurrection in St Paul's Cathedral, London (4 January 2000).
- 2000 – knighthood in the Millennium Honours List.
- 2001 – soundtrack of Werner Herzog's short documentary Pilgrimage composed.
- 2003 – premiere of the all-night vigil The Veil of the Temple by the Holst Singers and the Choir of the Temple Church at the Temple Church, London.
- 2005 – premiere of Laila (Amu), Tavener's first dance collaboration, with Random Dance company and Wayne McGregor's choreography.[34]
- 2006 – contributed Fragments of a Prayer to the Alfonso Cuarón film Children of Men.
- 2007 – premiere of The Beautiful Names by the Qur'an. Awarded honorary degree by the University of Winchester.
- 2008 – premiere of the anthem sung in St Paul's Cathedral in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
- March 2009 – premiere of Tu ne sais pas for mezzo-soprano, timpani and strings. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Katherine Pracht singing texts drawn from poems by French poet Jean Biès(one of the work's dedicatees) and from Islamic and Hindu sources.
- 2011 – excerpts of Funeral Canticle from the album Eternity's Sunrise by the Academy of Ancient Music were used multiple times in Terrence Malick's film The Tree of Life.
- April 2013 – premiere of Tolstoy's Creed and Three Hymns of George Herbert by The City Choir of Washington at the Washington National Cathedral.
- 7 July 2013 – premiere of Love Duet from The Play of Krishna, If Ye Love Me and The Death of Ivan Ilyich during an all-Tavener concert given as part of the Manchester International Festival.[35]
- 2013 – The Lamb included in the critically acclaimed soundtrack to Paolo Sorrentino's film The Great Beauty (Italy's official selection for the 2013 Academy Awards), which subsequently won.[36]
Works
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Selected recordings
- The Whale, Apple Records
- The Protecting Veil, Virgin 561849-2
- Schuon Lieder, Black Box BBM1101
- The Veil of the Temple, RCA 82876661542
- Songs of the Sky, Signum Records SIGCD149
- "Tavener: Choral Works," Hyperion CDA67475
- Missa Wellensis, Signum Records SIGCD442
- Palintropos, A Flock Ascending AFACD001
References
- ^ Meirion Bowen (12 November 2013) [13 June 1968]. "Two Tavener Works at the Queen Elizabeth Hall". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Linn Records: "Carmina Celtica: Canty"". Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Michael J Stewart (12 November 2013). "Sir John Tavener obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Janus Films presents The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza)". Janusfilms.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ Adam Sherwin (18 January 2010). "Not just a blip: Ivor Novello awards to recognise computer game music". The Times. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
- ^ Snook, Sebastian. "Tributes Paid to Composer Sir John Tavener, Honorary Fellow of Sarum College". Sarum.ac.uk.
- ISBN 0-385-14278-1
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar Ivan Moody. "Tavener, John", Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 November 2013 (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Music Obituary: Sir John Tavener". The Daily Telegraph. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ^ a b c Michael White, "A Time for Reflection", BBC Music Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 2 (December 2013): p. 29.
- ^ "Our History (Pre-1975)". Stmark.org.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ Michael White, "A Time for Reflection", BBC Music Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 2 (December 2013), p. 28.
- ^ Remembering 'Holy Minimalist' Composer John Tavener (obituary).
- ^ a b c d Anastasia Tsioulcas (12 November 2013). "Remembering 'Holy Minimalist' Composer John Tavener". NPR Music. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ Morris Eaves; Robert N. Essick; Joseph Viscomi (eds.). "Songs of Innocence and of Experience, copy C, object 9 (Bentley 8, Erdman 8, Keynes 8) "The Lamb"". William Blake Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
- ^ "John Tavener – The Lamb (1982)". Music Sales Classical. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "John Tavener, composer and seeker, dies at 69". USA Today. Associated Press. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- ^ Richard Morrison (November 2004). "99 Names for God: John Tavener Turns his Back on Orthodoxy". BBC Music.: p. 30. Tavener is quoted as saying, "It strikes me now that all religions are as senile as one another."
- ^ David McCleery. "The Beautiful Names: John Tavener". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- ^ White, Michael (17 June 2007). "Christian Composer, Inspired by Allah's 99 Names". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ Sacred Music, series 2, episode 4, broadcast in the UK on BBC Four on 2 April 2010.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Start the Week". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "John Tavener's 'magical' last opera to be staged for first time". The Guardian. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Family | Sir John Tavener". johntavener.com. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ Michael White A rare meeting with Sir John Tavener, The Times 1 May 2009
- ^ "27 December 1999 – Music for a new millennium". BBC News. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ "John Tavener: God be in my head". The Independent. 20 June 2004. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 Appeal – Marfan Trust". BBC. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ "10 reasons why we love John Tavener". Classic FM.
- ^ "Legendary composer John Tavener is remembered during the Vale of Glamorgan Festival of Music". Wales Online. 28 April 2014.
- ^ Johnston, Guy (6 February 2024). "'He had a mystical aura': cellist Guy Johnston on John Tavener's masterpiece The Protecting Veil" – via The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f g h BBC News (12 November 2013). "Sir John Tavener: Composer dies aged 69". Retrieved 12 November 2013.
- ^ "Funeral held for composer Tavener". Bbc.co.uk. 28 November 2013.
- ^ Amu Review The Independent, 19 September 2005. Retrieved 2010
- ^ "Classical Net – Composers – Tavener". Classical.net. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ "Janus Films presents The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza)". Janusfilms.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e The Telegraph: John Tavener: five top pieces (accessed 14 November 2013)
- ^ a b c d e Andrew Stewart, notes to Signum Records CD SIGCD244
- ^ "Elizabeth Full Of Grace (2002)". Music Sales Classical. Chester Music. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ^ The Guardian: Pump it up John (accessed 14 November 2013)
Further reading
- "John Tavener, composer, Died on 12 November, Aged 69", The Economist (London), no. 8863 (23–29 November 2013), p. 90. N.B.: This obituary is unsigned.
- Moody, Ivan, and Caroline Gill. "Sir John Tavener: a World of Light", Gramophone, no. 1105 (January 2014), pp. 16–19.
- Stewart, Michael (2000). "John Tavener Talks to Michael Stewart about the Recent Festival Ikons of Light". Image and Music. Retrieved 23 May 2007.
- Sheahen, Laura. "Sell Cleverness, Buy Wonder: The Music of Sir John Tavener: Composer Tavener, a Devout Orthodox Christian, Believes that Neither Music nor Religion can be Exclusive". Beliefnet. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- Lifting the Veil, the Biography of Sir John Tavener by Piers Dudgeon (London, 2003 and 2013)
External links
- Official website
- John Tavener at IMDb
- Portraits of John Tavener at the National Portrait Gallery, London
- John Tavener discography at Discogs
- John Tavener at ChesterNovello
- Cummings, Robert (2008). "John Tavener Artist Biography". AllMusic.
- Tavener's 'Towards Silence' from musicmindspirit.org
- "Poet George Herbert". Start the Week. BBC Radio 4. 11 November 2013.
The composer Sir John Tavener and the writer Jeanette Winterson discuss prayer in a secular age, and the power of music and words to soothe the soul. This programme was recorded before the sad announcement of Sir John Tavener's death.
- BBC tribute programme (31/12/13) – Sir John Tavener Remembered
- Lamentations and Praises– An Interview with John Tavener (2001)
- Ikons of Light– Talks to Michael Stewart about his 'Ikons Of Light' Festival (2000)