(b. 1951)
Brian Howard is one of Australia's most striking composers of chamber operas. He studied with Peter Sculthorpe, Richard Meale, Bernard Rands and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Howard taught composition at the University of Melbourne and New South Wales Conservatorium in Sydney. He held composer residencies at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris and the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen. He has received commissions from the Australian Opera, Victoria State Opera, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, West Australian Ballet and Opera Factory Zürich. Brian Howard has received particular acclaim for his chamber operas which are based on texts by Steven Berkoff (after Kafka), Louis Nowra and Jean Rhys. His output also includes evocatively crafted ensemble and orchestral works and his early scores demonstrate a forceful, modernist idiom while recent works embrace tonal harmony, minimalist processes and a rich poetic vein.
Brian Howard Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Chanson de la plus haute tour
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Vibraphone, 2 x marimba, 2 octaves crotales, glockenspiel
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Il Tramonto della luna
No Timpani + 4 percussion
1: Vibraphone, marimba, wood chimes, 2: 2 octaves crotales, large orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, glass chimes, bongos, 3: glockenspiel, temple blocks, suspended cymbal. small nipple gong, 4: large nipple gong, tubular bells, tom tom, suspended cymbal
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Inner Voice
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Orchestral bass drum x 2, vibraphone, 2 x medium suspended cymbal, tom-tom, 3 x snare drum, large suspended cymbal, 2 x glockenspiel, tenor drum, medium nipple gong, large nipple gong, marimba, timpani
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Metamorphosis
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, snare drum x 2, orchestral bass drum x 2, large suspended cymbal, timpani, 2 octaves crotales, xylophone, ratchet, tam tam. lions roar, claves
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The Celestial Mirror
No Timpani + 3 percussion
Glockenspiel, xylophone, 2 gongs, 2 octaves crotales, marimba, vibraphone, ratchet, large suspended cymbal
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The Rainbow Serpent
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Vibraphone, glockenspiel, large gong, large orchestral bass drum
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The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
No Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
1:Glockenspiel, clash cymbals, xylophone, glass chimes, timpani, 2:2 octaves crotales, orchestral bass drum, celeste, large nipple gong, timpani, 3:tubular bells, clash cymbals, marimba, vibraphone, glass chimes, timpani
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Whitsunday
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Marimba, glockenspiel, large suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, vibraphone, large gong, sand paper blocks
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Wildbird Dreaming
No Timpani + 2 percussion
Glockenspiel, tubular bells, xylophone, vibraphone, large orchestral bass drum, marimba, large nipple gong
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