Musicatlas
Music
Opera
- The Shadow of the Glen, chamber opera in one act after J.M. Synge, op. 50
Orchestral
- Violin Concerto, op. 4 (1942–3)
- Ricercar for strings, op. 6 (1944)
- Symphony of Liberation (Symphony No. 1), op. 7 (1941–5)
- Sinfonietta for strings, op. 10 (1948)
- Cello Concerto, op. 18 (1952)
- Piano Concerto (original version in 3 movements, op.26, 1954-5; revised version in 2 movements, op. 54, 1981)
- Dance Suite, op. 28 (1957)
- Symphony No.2, op. 35 (1964)
- Variations for orchestra, op. 36 (1964)
- Choriamb for orchestra, op. 41 (1968)
Vocal Music
- Mass for double chorus (1938–9)
- The Pilgrims of Hope, cantata op. 27 (1956 rev. 1968)
- Et resurrexit, cantata, op. 43 (1969)
- Hymn to Light, motet, op. 44 (1970)
- The True Dark, song-cycle, op. 49 (1974)
Chamber and Instrumental Works
- Toccata and Fugue on a 12-note theme for piano (1936)
- Violin Sonata, op. 1 (1940)
- Piano Trio, op. 3 (1942)
- Theme and Variations for string quartet, op. 11 (1949)
- Fantasia for 2 violins and piano, op. 20 (1952)
- Fantasia on Giles Farnaby’s Dreame for piano, op.22 (1953; also orchestrated as op. 47, 1972)
- Fantasia on a Theme of Dowland for violin and piano, op. 23 (1953)
- Piano Sonata, op. 25 (1954)
- Lyric Suite for string trio, op. 30 (1958)
- String Quartet No. 2, op. 34 (1962)
- Trio for horn, violin and piano, op 38 (1966)
- Suite for 6 instruments, op. 40 (1967)
- The Bramble Briar — ballad for guitar, op. 45 (1970)
- Improvisation for solo viola, op. 48 (1973)
- Autumn Sequence for guitar and harpsichord, op. 52 (1980)
- Concertante for 2 pianos, op. 55 (1982)
Life
Studied in Cambridge with E.J. Dent and Cyril Rootham, then Royal college of Music, London with R.O. Morris and Gordon Jacob. Attracted the attention of Max Rostal in 1940 with his Op. 1 Violin Sonata — Rostal commissioned a Violin Concerto which Stevens wrote while on war service. After the war, his ‘Symphony of Liberation’won first prize in a newspaper-sponsored competition for a Victory Symphony to celebrate the end of the war. A friend of Alan Bush, Randall Swingler and Montaguye Slater, Stevens had strong so cialist affiliations but resigned from the Communist Party in 1956 in protest against the suppression of the Hungarian uprising. He was a distinguished teacher — Professor of Composition at the RCM from 1948 and at the University of London from 1967. His pupils included Michael Finnissy.