Gerald Barry
About Gerald Barry
The world now has something rare: a new genuinely comic opera and maybe the most inventive Oscar Wilde opera since Richard Strauss' Salome more than a century ago.
– The Los Angeles Times on The Importance of Being Earnest
Gerald Barry was born in Clarehill, Clarecastle, County Clare, Ireland, in 1952, and studied with Stockhausen and Kagel. His early music from 1979 included "_______" for ensemble, of which Kagel wrote: 'Gerald Barry is always sober, but might as well always be drunk. His piece "_______" is, on the contrary, not rectilineal, but 'a very wiggly line'. Also from 1979 is Ø for two pianos in which both pianos play identical music simultaneously.
Barry’s substantial catalogue includes a number of works for orchestra. Chevaux-de-frise for the 1988 BBC Proms, The Conquest of Ireland (1996), Day (2005/14), The Eternal Recurrence (2000), a setting of Nietzsche for voice and orchestra, and Hard D (1995) for the Orkest de Volharding, were all commissioned by the BBC. No other people, was presented at the 2013 Proms with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ilan Volkov. Canada (2017), a short work for voice and orchestra, was premiered by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and tenor Allan Clayton under Mira Gražinytė-Tyla at the 2017 BBC Proms. Canada received its US premiere at the 2019 Tanglewood Music Festival. Humiliated and Insulted (2016) for chorus and orchestra was co-commissioned by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Amongst his orchestral works is a growing body of concertos. Barry’s Piano Concerto (2012), written for Nicolas Hodges and co-commissioned by Musica Viva and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, was premiered in Munich in 2013 with subsequent performances by the CBSO, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, RTÉ National SymphonyOrchestra and at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. Commissioned by the CBSO, London’s Southbank Centre and RTÉ, his Organ Concerto (2018) received its world premiere in March 2018 with the CBSO, followed by performances by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the RTÉ NSO. The Organ Concerto received its German premiere in Cologne during autumn 2019 with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen conducted by Duncan Ward and also in 2019 was the premiere of Barry's Viola Concerto (2018-19), commissioned by Lawrence Power and performed with the Britten Sinfonia and Thomas Adès. As part of Cellissimo 2022, a fourth concerto for cello was premiered by soloist Adrian Brophy and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra before his most recent concerto, Aus Die bitteren Tranen der Petra von Kant written for Double Bassist Matthew MacDonald and the Berlin Philharmonic, was premiered in June 2022 to rave reviews.
Several ensemble works have been written for Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), including Wiener Blut (2000), Dead March (2007), and Beethoven (2008). London's Southbank Centre commissioned God Save The Queen (2001) for choir and chamber ensemble for the London Sinfonietta as part of the Royal Festival Hall’s 50th birthday celebrations. Le Vieux Sourd (2008) for piano was written for Betty Freeman, Feldman’s Six-Penny Editions (2008/9)was commissioned by London Sinfonietta and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and No people. (2013) was written for ensemble 7Bridges.
Barry is well known for his contribution to the opera repertoire. His first opera The Intelligence Park (1981–88), released as a recording on NMC in 2002, was commissioned by the ICA and first performed at the 1990 Almeida Festival. A new production by Music Theatre Wales opened at Covent Garden in September 2019, followed by performances around the UK throughout the autumn. A second opera, The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit (1991), written for Channel 4 Television, opened the 2002 Aldeburgh Festival, followed by performances in London and the BerlinerFestwochen conducted by Thomas Adés. A new staging took place in 2013 at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (2001–4) was premiered in 2005 in Dublin with subsequent performances at English National Opera that year and at Theater Basel in 2008. The RTÉ NSO recording has been re-released on the discovery label. La Plus Forte (2007), a one-act opera, was commissioned by Radio France for the 2007 Festival Présences. It was premiered by Barbara Hannigan in Paris, and toured to Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Miami, Toronto and Porvoo, Finland. In 2019, Barry created an English version of the work, which was performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Thomas Adès.
Barry’s fifth opera, The Importance of Being Earnest (2009–10), was jointly commissioned by the LA Philharmonic and the Barbican in London and received its world premiere staging at Opéra national de Lorraine – Nancy in 2013.The opera has received a number of new productions notably including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2013 (since revived in London and given a US premiere at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic and IlanVolkov) and by Northern Ireland Opera. Earnest received a 2013 RPS Award for Large-Scale Composition and the recording, released on NMC, was nominated for a 2016 Grammy Award. A new production by the Nouvel Opéra Fribourgopened in Fribourg and Paris in May 2019. Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (2014-15), premiered in concert in November 2016 with Thomas Adès conducting the LA Phil New Music Group and Barbara Hannigan in the title role. Adès conducted the same cast in the European premiere, with Britten Sinfonia at London’s Barbican Centre. The world premiere staging was given at Covent Garden in February 2020 in a production by Antony McDonald to high acclaim. A new production took place in Magdeburg, Germany in 2023.
Gerald Barry’s music has been recorded extensively on NMC, Black Box, Marco Polo, BVHaast and Discovery.
Worklist
Gallery
Chronology
German Government Scholarship (DAAD) to study with Stockhausen at the Hochschule fur Musik, Cologne
'Kitty lie over across from the wall' for piano and orchestra.
WDR records ‘Ø'
Returns to Dublin
Au Milieu and Sur les Pointes for piano
String Quartet No. 1
Piano Quartet No. 1
German premiere of Bob by WDR Cologne
From The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit for orchestra
The Conquest of Ireland for bass solo and orchestra for the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Piano Quartet No. 2
CD of orchestral music released on Marco Polo
The Eternal Recurrence for soprano and orchestra
Festival of Barry’s music organised by RTE
Wiener Blut for ensemble at the BBC Proms
God Save the Queen for children’s choir and ensemble, written to mark the Southbank Centre’s 50th Birthday
String Quartet No. 3
Featured Composer at the Aldeburgh and Huddersfield Festivals
German premiere of The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit (Berliner Festwochen)
German premiere of 'Chevaux de frise' (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra)
CD of The Intelligence Park released on NMC
Day for orchestra (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
German premiere of Wiener Blut (orchestral version) - Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
String Quartet No 4 'First Sorrow'
Portrait concerts at Miller Theatre, Columbia University, New York and the Isabelle Gardner Museum, Boston
Le Vieux Sourd for piano commissioned by Betty Freeman
Russian premiere of Chevaux de Frise with the Mariinsky Orchestra, St Petersburg
Lisbon nominated for an RPS Music Award
American premiere of La Plus Forte (New World Symphony Orchestra, Miami)
No other people for orchestra
Schott and Sons, Mainz for bass voice and choir
Feldman's Sixpenny Editions for ensemble
CD of hitherto unreleased recordings (Things That Gain By Being Painted, Kitty lie over across from the wall, L’Agitation des Observateurs, Les Tremblement des Voyeurs, Chevaux de frise) appears in the journal Boulevard Magenta 2 (The Irish Museum of Modern Art), also containing sketches from The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.
World premiere staged production of The Importance of Being Earnest in Nancy, France (Opéra national de Lorraine)
Receives RPS Award for Large-Scale Composition for The Importance of Being Earnest
Premiere of Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (2014/15) in concert with Thomas Adès conducting the LA Phil New Music Group
Canada for voice and orchestra premiered at the BBC Proms with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and tenor Allan Clayton
Products
-
(Line), 1987 version for six playersComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: ScoreSeries: Edition Schott
'________'
Instrumentation: 2 clarinets, viola, cello, marimba and pianoProduct number: ED 13674Product TypeIn stockAs low as €39.99Incl. Tax -
(Line), original 1979 version for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
for flute, clarinet in B flat, and pianoComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: flute, clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 13716Product TypeIn stockAs low as €7.99Incl. Tax -
for pianoComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score, Available in "Spectrum 4" for piano (ABRSM)Instrumentation: pianoProduct number: ED 13734Out of stock€5.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
OperaProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €59.99Incl. Tax
-
OperaComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Piano reductionSeries: Alice's Adventures Under Ground
Product number: ED 13984Product TypeIn stockAs low as €47.99Incl. Tax -
OperaComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialLanguage: French, German, Russian, English
-
for pianoProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €8.99Incl. Tax
-
Kontrabass und OrchesterComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: double bass and orchestra
-
for violin and pianoComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: violin and pianoProduct number: ED 14194Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax -
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
for bass voice and ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Beethoven
Instrumentation: bass voice and ensembleProduct number: ED 13869Product TypeIn stockAs low as €16.99Incl. Tax -
for bass voice and ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialInstrumentation: bass voice and ensembleLanguage: English
-
for four saxophonesComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: 4 saxophonesProduct number: ED 13737Out of stock€18.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
for four clarinetsComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: 4 clarinetsProduct number: ED 13736Out of stock€18.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
for flute or alto flute and pianoComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: flute and pianoProduct number: ED 14060Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax -
for voice and orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: tenor and orchestraLanguage: French, German, English
-
Text: 15th CenturyComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Choral Music of Our Time
Instrumentation: 2-part choir or 2 voices (high/low) and keyboardProduct number: ED 13739Product TypeIn stockAs low as €2.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: cello and orchestra
-
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: ensembleProduct number: ED 13955Product TypeIn stockAs low as €11.99Incl. Tax -
A collection of new pieces for pianoMedia Type: Sheet musicInstrumentation: pianoLanguage: EnglishProduct number: ED 21470In stock€10.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Day
Instrumentation: orchestraProduct number: ED 13820Product TypeIn stockAs low as €7.99Incl. Tax -
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
for chamber orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber ensemble
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
for ensembleProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €29.99Incl. Tax
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
String Quartet No. 4Composer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
First Sorrow
Instrumentation: string quartetProduct number: ED 13740Product TypeIn stockAs low as €30.99Incl. Tax -
for two pianosComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Two copies are needed for performanceSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: 2 pianosProduct number: ED 13741Product TypeIn stockAs low as €27.99Incl. Tax -
for tubaProduct TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
for chamber orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: chamber orchestra
-
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
A setting of the British National AnthemComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: choir and chamber ensemble
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
for SATB chorus and orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: SATB choir and orchestraLanguage: English
-
for solo pianoOut of stock€9.99Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping
-
for piano trioComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: violin, cello and pianoProduct number: ED 13744Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
for violin and pianoComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Score and partSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: violin and pianoProduct number: ED 13743Out of stock€16.50Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping -
for Voice, Horn and PianoComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: voice (soprano or tenor), horn in F and pianoProduct number: ED 13525Product TypeIn stockAs low as €21.99Incl. Tax -
for orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: orchestra
-
for voice and pianoComposer: Gerald BarrySeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: voice and piano or solo pianoProduct number: ED 13745Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax -
for piano and orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: piano and orchestra
-
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryEdition: Study scoreSeries: Music Of Our Time
Instrumentation: ensembleProduct number: ED 14043Product TypeIn stockAs low as €9.99Incl. Tax -
for ensembleComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: ensemble
-
for string orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: string orchestra
-
Opera in one act for soprano and orchestraComposer: Gerald BarryMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialLanguage: French, English
-
Text by A. C. BensonComposer: Gerald BarryText writer: Arthur Christopher BensonMedia Type: Hire/performance materialInstrumentation: voice and orchestraLanguage: English