MusicatlasNews for Meale
- Australian composer Richard Meale dies
[posted 24 November 2009]The Australian composer, conductor, pianist, lecturer, and broadcaster Richard Meale MBE AM passed away in Sydney on 23 November.
Many times Richard Meale was awarded for his contribution to Australian music. In 1971 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire and in 1985 a Member of the Order of Australia. He also received an Australian Artists Creative Fellowship in 1989. In 1997 he was awarded the Australia Council’s Don Banks Music Award, which is considered the most valuable individual music prize in Australia.
Meale is considered as one of Australia's most distinguished composers. According to Kathy Keele, Chief Executive of the Australia Council: “Richard’s work is an inspiration to the current generation of Australian composers. It is partly due to his efforts that we now hear modern Australian composition being performed around the nation and abroad”.
[Source: www.australiacouncil.gov.au]
Music
- 1 Symphony
- Flute Concerto
- Images — for Orchestra
- Homage to Garcia Lorca — for 2 String Orchestras
- Variations — for Orchestra
- Clouds now and then — for Orchestra
- Soon it will die — for Orchestra
- Viridian — for Strings
- Evocations — for Oboe & Chamber Orchestra
- Voss — Opera
- Mer de Glace — Opera
- 2 String Quartets
- Lots of Chamber music
Life
Australian composer Richard Meale studied piano, cello and harp at the Sydney State Cons. He never formally took any lessons in composition. In 1955 he gave private instructions in piano. In 1961 Meale went to Spain, and got very occupied with a spanish poet with the name of Garcia Lorca. In the past his biggest inspirations was that of Paul Hindemith and Bela Bartók, but now he began to go in the direction of Pierre Boulez and Olivier Messiaen. Especially the latter turned him around to be a true follower of this composers style. He also got another direction of influence, namely Indonesian music and aboriginal music. From 1961 to 1968 he was lector of Music on Elder Cons. of music, and from 1969 to 1988 on Adelaide University.
