Matthew de Lacey Davidson

Matthew de Lacey Davidson

Matthew de Lacey Davidson (born 1964 in Toronto, Canada) is a composer of concert, orchestral and chamber music who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. Studying in many countries, and integrating the works of numerous cultures into his work, Davidson's unique work reflects multi-cultural influences. He has studied in Canada, the United States and New Zealand. In addition to popular music, his work reflects influences of American, Asian, European and African vernacular or folk-music styles.

Education

Davidson studied composition with Jack Body at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; John Beckwith at the University of Toronto, Canada; and Salvatore Martirano at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States. In addition, he also studied counterpoint and computer music with John Melby at the University of Illinois. He studied piano with John Powell, Bruce Greenfield, and Philippa Ward in New Zealand; Lawrence Pitchko and Harold Heap in Toronto, Canada; and with William Heiles at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Composer

Davidson is a composer of academic concert music influenced by world music, and popular or vernacular idioms (such as jazz, early popular songs, and ragtime). He has written a body of work which includes music for piano solo, chamber music, orchestral music and electronic music. He has also composed a singspiel based on The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, and a chamber opera based on the short stories of New Zealand author, Katherine Mansfield.

Many of his works use direct transcriptions of non-western music from regions as diverse as Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Byelorussia, Belgium, the United States, the Basque region, and Africa. These transcriptions are often combined with Frederic Rzewski-style pan-tonal variations, classical music forms, and polytonality. In addition, his work is less concerned with the creation of a specific style of his own, and more towards the conscious development of ‘appropriated’ musical material.

His work is made available by The American Composers Alliance, The Canadian Music Centre, and The Centre for New Zealand Music (SOUNZ).

List of compact disk releases

Davidson has released 12 CDs to date.

  • 2010: The Pianist Musings: Re-issue of performances of works, by Brahms & Rachmaninoff on Navona
  • 2008: Talencourt: Music for Voice, Piano, and Strings, by Matthew de Lacey Davidson, Capstone Records
  • 2007: The Graceful Ghost: Contemporary Piano Rags, Capstone Records
  • 2001: Whippin’ the Keys: 75 years of Novelty Piano Ragtime, with Gary Smart, guest artist, Capstone Records
  • 2000: On the Highwire: Piano Rags, Waltzes and Tangos by Donald Ashwander, Capstone Records
  • 2000: Stolen Music: New Compositions, by Matthew Davidson, Capstone Records (re-release of original Mastersound album)
  • 1999: Syncopated Lady, with Tomoko Deguchi, Capstone Records
  • 1996: Stolen Music, Mastersound/Allegro
  • 1996: Sugar’s Nightmare: Piano Rags to Jazz 1898-1995, Mastersound/Allegro
  • 1995: Voodoo Queen: Piano Rags, Jazz, and Blues, performed by Matthew Davidson, Mastersound/Allegro
  • 1994: The Graceful Ghost: Contemporary Piano Rags, Mastersound/Allegro
  • 1992: Space Shuffle and Other Futuristic Rags, Stomp Off Records

List of compositions

  • 2013: Bergamasques (Violin solo)
  • 2012: Trio Sonata (Flute, Viola, and Harp)
  • 2012: Quatre mélodies québécoises : Music set to four poems by three Québécois authors: Albert Lozeau (1878–1924), Blanche Lamontagne-Beauregard (1889–1958), and Émile Nelligan (1879–1941)
  • 2012: Quartello Dell' Arte (String Quartet in 5 Movements)
  • 2012: The Singing Lesson – Chamber Opera in Three Acts, based on short stories of Katherine Mansfield (PD)
  • 2011: Zwei Motetten (SATB choir)
  • 2011: Music for Viola & Orchestra
  • 2011: Robert Schumann - Symphony No. 5 (Orchestration of Robert Schumann's Piano Quintet in Eb, Op. 44 for the same forces as Schumann's 4th symphony)
  • 2010: Love or Money – Singspiel in One Act & Thirteen Scenes, based on Christopher Marlowe's The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
  • 2008: Papillons, piano solo
  • 2008: Sonatine Pastorale, piano solo
  • 2008: Menuetto, arrangement of 3rd movement of Schubert's 5th Symphony
  • 2008: ''Music for Piano with Orchestra
  • 2007: The Owl and The [...] Cat (SATB choir)
  • 2006: Music for String Trio (violin, viola, violoncello)
  • 2006: Music for Viola and Piano
  • 2006: Nonsense Music (mezzo-soprano and piano)
  • 2002: Six Chorale Preludes, piano solo
  • 2000: After Brahms: Nine Concert Tangos for Piano Four Hands
  • 1999: Trois Oeuvres de Rameau, orchestration of three harpsichord works by Jean Philippe Rameau [revised in 2008]
  • 1997: Nicklettes Orchestral Suite for Children
  • 1996: Nicklettes Solo Piano Suite for Children
  • 1995: In the Land of Wonderful Dreams, five movement suite for solo piano
  • 1993: Stolen Music for a flute player
  • 1993: Etudes for Piano, Book I, five movements
  • 1993: Etudes for Piano, Book II, five movements
  • 1992: Millet Music for as many musicians as possible (multiple percussionists)
  • 1991: #5, for analog tape
  • 1991: I Had Five Long Years, string quartet
  • 1990: The Minute Passacaglia, for analog tape
  • 1990: Three Elusive Rags, piano solo
  • 1989: Le Poème Inattendu for Large Orchestra [re-orchestrated & revised 2009]
  • 1988: Signor Grinderino, for analog tape
  • 1988: Between the Lines, for analog tape
  • 1988: Music for String Quartet [revised 1996]
  • 1988: Deux Plaisanteries, for (Eb), alto sax and piano
  • 1985: Magyar Rondo for solo Viola
  • 1984: Five Vignettes for Piano Solo

Awards

As a composer, Davidson has received numerous awards, performances, and radio broadcasts in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and Europe, and has received praise for his originality, meticulousness, and idiomatic writing for instruments.