A composer a week: Thea Musgrave

I’ve always loved Thea Musgrave’s music. I discovered her music through her fantastic Horn Concerto, written for the late amazing Barry Tuckwell. I heard it probably in the late 90s, on Andrew Ford’s stalwart, The Music Show.

Her idea of “dramatic abstract” has been really influential on my work, and her exploration of the individual against the crowd, in her operas and concertos, has been really influential on my work. One example I’ve explored and been kind of obsessed with is the amazing moment in the Horn Concerto where the 8 Horn players of the orchestra go around the auditorium and the room is enveloped in the sound of the horn. It’s a really cool moment!

My suggested listening - Horn Concerto & Clarinet Concerto.

The second in a series of composer videos from The Music Sales Group. Thea Musgrave (b.1928), composer of over a dozen operas, began her studies in Edinburgh...