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Douglas Lilburn (1915-2001)

Douglas Lilburn, composerDouglas Lilburn is arguably New Zealand’s most distinguished composer. His influence on his contemporaries and succeeding generations of composers has been far-reaching, both in practical and inspirational terms. Lilburn was the central figure in the development of New Zealand composition between 1940 and 1980. His move to Wellington in 1949 brought to a close his first, highly productive phase of composition but enabled him to teach at the newly established Music Department of Victoria University. He attended Waitaki Boys’ High School from 1930 to 1933, before moving to Christchurch to study at Canterbury University College (1934-6). In 1937 he began studying at the Royal College of Music, London. He was tutored in composition by Ralph Vaughan Williams and remained at the College until 1939. He returned to New Zealand in 1940 and was guest conductor in Wellington for three months with the NBS String Orchestra. He shifted to Christchurch in 1941 and worked as a freelance composer and teacher until 1947. Between 1946 and 1949 and again in 1951, Lilburn was Composer-in-Residence at the Cambridge Summer Music Schools. In 1947 Douglas Lilburn shifted to Wellington to take up a position at Victoria University as part-time tutor in music. He was appointed full-time Lecturer in 1949 and Senior Lecturer in 1955. In 1963 he was made Associate Professor of Music and was appointed Professor with a personal chair in Music in 1970. In 1966 Lilburn founded the Electronic Music Studio at the university and was its Director until 1979, a year before his retirement. Lilburn was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Otago in 1969 and in 1978 was presented with the Composers’ Association of New Zealand (CANZ) Citation for Services to New Zealand Music. In 1988 he was awarded the Order of New Zealand.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Lilburn Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Lilburn on Lilburn
Sonata in C minor, piano, op. 1 (1932) [3 mvts]
Forest, tone poem, orchestra (1936)
Choruses, baritone, male chorus and mixed chorus (1937l; unfinished) [text: T.S. Eliot]
Sonata in G minor, piano (1937; incomplete)
Drysdale Overture, orchestra (1937)
Festival Overture, orchestra (1939; rev. 1984)
Sonata for Pianoforte No. 2, F sharp minor (1939) [2 mvts]
Phantasy for String Quartet (Westron Wynde) (1939)
Harvestmen A-singing, chorus (1939)
Prodigal Country, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1939) [text: Robin Hyde; Allen Curnow; and Walt Whitman]
Sonata for Piano, A minor (1939) [3 mvts]
Summer's Sadness, baritone and piano (1940) [text: D'Arcy Cresswell]
Piece in E major, piano (1940)
Overture: Aotearoa, orchestra (1940; rev. 1988)
The Young Pine-Tree, piano (1941)
A Musical Offering of Preludes, Musical Boxes, and a Tempo di Bolero, piano 6-hands (1941)
Suite for Strings (5 mvts), string orchestra (1941)
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, chorus (1942) [original title "Evening Service"]
Introduction and Allegro, string orchestra (1942) [originally titled "Concert Overture No. 2 in B flat"]
Rondino for a Birthday to L.A.B., piano (1942)
Christmas 1942 (5 pieces), piano (1942)
Canzonetta No. 1, violin and viola (1942)
Allegro, string orchestra (1942; rev. 1975)
Concert Overture [No. 1] in D, string orchestra (1942)
Five Bagatelles, piano (1942) [No. 4 was extracted as "From the Port Hills"]
    - From the Port Hills, piano (1942) [No. 4 from "Five Bagatelles", 1942]
Landfall in Unknown Seas (4 mvts), narrator and string orchestra (1942) [text: Allen Curnow]
Hamlet, incidental music [3 violins and tubular bells] (1943) [Shakespeare] [see also "Canzona 1", 1943/1980]
    - Canzona 1, string orchestra (1943/1980) [1980 reworking of score to "Hamlet", 1943]
Three Preludes 1943, piano (1943)
Sonata in C, violin and piano (1943; edited 1983; rev. 1986)
Christmas 1943 (6 pieces?), piano (1943)
Sonata in E flat, violin and piano (1943; edited 1984)
Sinfonia in D, string orchestra (1943)
Canzonetta No. 2, violin and viola (1943)
Four Preludes for Piano (1942-44) [also in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Songs May be Sung of the Past and its Glory, voices and pf (or org) (1944; rev. 1981) [text: Frank Milner; Waitaki Boys' HS song]
Othello, incidental music [violin and piano] (1944) [Shakespeare]
    - Desdemona's Song, guitar (1944) [arr. 1991 from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
    - Willow Song, mezzo-soprano and piano (1944; rev. 1978) [text: Shakespeare] [from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
            - Canzona 2, solo violin and string quartet (1944/1980) [1980 reworking of "Willow Song" from "Othello", 1944]
Adagio sostenuto, piano (1944) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Distant Point, incidental music (1944) [songs for a production of Aleksandr Afinogenov's play]
A Christmas Offering 1944 (34 pieces), piano (1944)
Prelude and Fugue in G minor, organ (1944)
Allegro Concertante, violin and piano (1944; rev. 1945)
Sea Change, piano (1945) [No. 1 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music [flute, cornet and 2 horns] (1945) [Shakespeare]
Elegy (I.M. Noel Newson) (4 songs), soprano, contralto and string orchestra (1945; rev. 1981)
A Song for Otago University, voices [chorus?] and piano (1945) [text: James K. Baxter]
King Henry V, incidental music [2 trumpets] (1945) [Shakespeare]
String Trio (1945)
Cambridge Overture, string orchestra (1946)
Sonatina No. 1, piano (1946) [3 mvts]
    - alternative 2nd mvt to "Sonatina No. 1", 1946
Macbeth, incidental music [recorder, piper, trumpet, cello and timpani] (1946) [Shakespeare]
[Piano Music], piano (1946)
Chaconne, piano (1946; rev. 1972 and 1990) [originally titled "Theme and Variations for Piano"]
Holiday Piece, medium voice and piano (1946; rev. 1950) [text: Denis Glover]
O Fons Bandusiae, voice and piano (1946) [text: Horace III, XIII; translated by R.A.K. Mason]
Song Thinking of Her Dead, voice and piano (1946) [text: R.A.K. Mason]
A Song of Islands, orchestra (1946) [originally titled "Song of the Antipodes"]
String Quartet, E minor (1946; rev. 1981)
Summer Afternoon, voice and piano (1947) [text: Basil Dowling] [No. 1 of "Three Songs"]
Diversions, 2 clarinets and 2 trumpets (1947)
The Infernal Machine, incidental music (1947) [for production of Jean Cocteau's play]
Canon for 2 Clarinets (1947)
Li Po in Spring, voice and piano (1947) [text: James K. Baxter]
Weekly Review 332: Hokianga...Backblock Medical Service, short doc. film score [small orch] (1947) [for National Film Unit]
Diversions (5 mvts), string [orchestra] (1947) [Vivace; Poco adagio; Presto; Andante; Allegro]
Allegro, piano (1948) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Variations on a Theme by Douglas Lilburn, piano (1948)
    - Variation 1: D. Farquhar; 2: R. Dellow; 3: E. Carr; 4: D. Franchi; 5: R. Tremain, 6: L. Pruden (incomplete)
Journey for Three, film score [chamber orchestra] (1948) [for National Film Unit]
Weekly Review 346: Rhythm and Movement, short documentary film score [small orch] (1948) [for National Film Unit]
Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano (1948) [3 mvts]
The Islands (2 songs), voice and piano (1948) [text: Charles Brasch]
Prelude 1948, piano (1948)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1949)
Sonata, piano (1949) [3 mvts] [known as "Sonata (1949)"]
The Trojan Women, incidental music [flute, violin, trumpet and piano] (1949) [for production of Euripides' play]
This is New Zealand, documentary film score [small orchestra] (1949) [for BBC]
Two Christmas Pieces for L.B., piano (1949) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Andante, piano (1950) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Cornet Rilke, incidental music, str qt (1950) [for reading of Rilke's "Die Weise von Leben und Tod des Cornetts Cristoph Rilke"]
    - Canzona 3, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
    - Canzona 4, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
The First Two Years at School, documentary film score [flute, 2 clarinets, piano and strings] (1950)
    - Moths and Candles, piano (1950) [extracted from "The First Two Years at School", 1950]
Lines in Autumn, voice and piano (1950) [text: Basil Dowling]
Sonata, violin and piano (1950)
Prelude, piano (1950)
Sea Change, piano (1950) [No. 2 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
Two Preludes, piano (1951) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Elegy, song cycle (8 songs), baritone and piano (1951) [text: Alistair Te Ariki Campbell]
Prelude, piano (1951)
Piece for Four Hands, piano 4-hands (1951) [also known as "Allegro non troppo"]
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1951; rev. 1974)
Sonata, piano (1951-52; rev. 1956) [3 mvts] [referred to as "Sonata (1956)"]
Rondino, piano (1952) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Hamlet, incidental music [2 trumpets, violin and percussion] (1952) [Shakespeare]
Salutes to Seven Poets, incidental music [violin and piano] (1952; rev. 1989) [8 mvts]
Sings Harry (6 songs), baritone and piano (1953) [text: Denis Glover] [also arr. for tenor and guitar (or piano)]
    - Flores del Mar - [Canzona:] The Flowers of the Sea, guitar (1953/1962) [arr. 1962 from the fifth song of "Sings Harry", 1953]
Dandy Dick, incidental music (1953) [for a production of Pinero's play]
Ned Kelly, incidental music (1953) [for production of Douglas Stewart's play]
The Magpies (2 songs), [female?] chorus [SSA] (1954) [text: Denis Glover]
Clear Sky, voice and piano (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas] [No. 2 from "Three Songs"]
The Picnic, voice and piano (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas] [No. 3 from "Three Songs"]
Three Songs, voice and piano (1947-54; rev. 1985)
Duos, 2 violins (1954) [6 mvts: Andante con moto; Allegro; Andante; Allegro; Lento; Allegramente][orig. titled "Duo for 2 Violins"]
Suite for Solo Viola (1955) [4 mvts]
St. Joan, incidental music [oboe, 3 tpts, 3 trombones and strings] (1955) [for a production of George Bernard Shaw's play]
Suite for Orchestra (1955; rev. 1956)
Pardon Goddess of the Night, chorus (1955) [song from "Much Ado About Nothing"]
Pieces in Serial Technique, strings (1955) [for various string combinations]
Poco Lento, piano (1956) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
A Birthday Offering, orchestra (1956) [for the 10th anniversary of the National Orchestra of New Zealand]
The Merchant of Venice, incidental music [oboe, oboe d'amore, 2 tpt, trombone, hpscd, cymbal & 3 vlns] (1957) [Shakespeare]
Quartet for Brass Instruments (5 mvts), 2 trumpets, horn and trombone (1957)
Wind Quintet (1957) [3 mvts]
Three Songs for Baritone and Viola (1958)
Three Poems of the Sea, narrator and string orchestra (1958)
Canzonetta No. 3, violin and viola (1958)
Suite for Brass Band (4 mvts) (1959) ["Never finalised" written on the score]
Variations on a Popular Tune as Sung by Master L. S. Page, piano (1960)
Four Preludes, piano (1944-60) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Poco Lento, piano (1960) [No. 1 in "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
Processional Fanfare, 3 trumpets and organ (1960) [arr. 1985 for 3 trumpets and small orchestra]
The Axe, incidental music [tape and musique concrete] (1961) [for a production of Allen Curnow's play]
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1961)
Grand Canyon Uprun, documentary film score [wind quintet] (1961)
    - Grand Canyon Uprun, wind quintet (1961/1987) [arr. 1987 from film score "Grand Canyon Uprun", 1961]
Sonatina No. 2, piano (1962) [3 mvts]
Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, incidental music [fife, tenor, recorder, 2 ob, bsn, 3 tpt, tabor, side drum, hpschd, viola & singers] (1962)
Lento, guitar (1962)
[Six Pieces], piano (1962-63)
Five Toronto Pieces, tape (1963) [18:00]
The Pitcher and the Well, incidental music [tape] (1964) [for a production based on readings from J. D. Duncan's book]
Andante sostenuto, piano (1964) [No. 18 in "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
[Pieces from the Wiltshire Barn, 1964], tape (1964)
[Five Pieces], piano (1964)
[Three Pieces], piano (1964)
Canonic Studies, piano (1964-65)
The Return, narrator and tape (1965) [text: Alistair Campbell] [17:03]
Homage to J. S. Bach, piano (1965)
Gamelan for Six Hands, piano 6-hands (1965)
Fred's Birthday, piano (1965)
Eighteen Short Pieces, piano (1960-65)
Canon for Six Hands, piano 6-hands (1965)
[Untitled (1)], piano (1965)
Five serial pieces, piano (1965) [includes "Vivo la System!" and "Homage a DAF"]
[Untitled (2)], piano (1965)
Seven Pieces, piano (1965-66)
Nine Short Pieces, piano (1965-66; rev. 1967)
The Suicide, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Alistair Te Ariki Campbell's play]
The Spiral Tattoo, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
Fragments of a Poem, tape (1966) [6:48]
The Golden Lover, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of Douglas Stewart's play]
Concerto ostinato, tape (1967)
Textures from Metals, tape (1967)
Poem in Time of War, tape (1967) [15:20]
He Mana Toa, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
Cicadas, Oscillators and Treefrogs, tape (1967) [2:33]
Study from One Note, tape (1967) [4:30]
Little Oscillators in Disneyland, tape (1968) [3:15]
Three Studies for Gustav Ciamaga, tape (1968) [9:00]
Three Bars for M.N., piano (1968) [originally titled "Three Bars for the Blood and Bone"]
Hot Spring, incidental music [tape] (1968) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
He Tohu o Waharoa, incidental music [tape] (1969) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
Summer Voices, tape (1969) [6:28]
Five Toronto Pieces, tape (1969) [16:00]
Toronto Tailfeather, tape (1969) [1:08]
Seventeen Pieces for Guitar (1962/1969-70)
Dance Sequence - Expo 70, tape (1970) [10:53]
Lilburn vs Putney, tape (1971) [compilation sampler of work with the Putney VCS3 synthesiser]
Staircase Music, tape (1971)
Glass Music, tape (1971) [6:25]
Three Inscapes, tape (1972) [12:40]
God Save, tape (1972) [1:09] [demonstration piece for Electronic Music Studio/Victoria University Wellington]
[Untitled], viola (1972) [slow mvt of a set of 3 short mvts written for Gavin Saunders; outer mvts withdrawn by Lilburn]
Sea Change, piano (1972) [No. 3 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
The Wide Open Cage, incidental music [tape] (1973) [for a production of James K. Baxter's play]
    - Norah's Song to the Skull, mezzo-soprano (1973) [from the incidental music for "The Wide Open Cage", 1973]
Still Music for W.N.R., piano (1973) [W.N.R. = William 'Bill' Norrie Rogers] [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Andante commodo, piano (1973) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Occasional Pieces for Piano (1942-73) [collection of previously composed works]
Welcome Stranger, dance piece [tape] (1974) [26:25] [commissioned by Royal New Zealand Ballet; chorg: Deidre Tarrant]
Lines and Distances, tape (1975) [16:08]
Sounds and Distances, tape [stereo and 4 channel versions] (1975) [9:55/10:10]
Carousel, tape (1976) [10:43]
Winterset, tape (1976) [9:49]
Triptych, tape (1977) [10:39]
Of Time and Nostalgia, tape (1977) [10:48]
['Oddments' of various works by Douglas Lilburn], various instrumentations (1939-78)
Soundscape with Lake and River, tape (1979) [11:10]
Four Canzonas (1980) [see Canzona 1 (1943/80); Canzona 2 , 3 & 4 (1950/80)]
     - Three Canzonas, [????] [arr. 1993 for tenor recorder] [arr. from "Four Canzonas???]
[Untitled], piano (1981)
Three Sea Changes, piano (1945/1950/1972) [collected and revised 1982]
[Miscellaneous sketches], piano (1944-96)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Lilburn Links    ~ ~ ~    Lilburn on Lilburn     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Welcome Stranger, dance piece [tape] (1974) [26:25] [commissioned by Royal New Zealand Ballet; chorg: Deidre Tarrant]

Orchestra
Forest, tone poem, orchestra (1936)
Drysdale Overture, orchestra (1937)
Festival Overture, orchestra (1939; rev. 1984)
Overture: Aotearoa, orchestra (1940; rev. 1988)
Suite for Strings (5 mvts), string orchestra (1941)
Introduction and Allegro, string orchestra (1942) [originally titled "Concert Overture No. 2 in B flat"]
Allegro, string orchestra (1942; rev. 1975)
Concert Overture [No. 1] in D, string orchestra (1942)
Landfall in Unknown Seas (4 mvts), narrator and string orchestra (1942) [text: Allen Curnow]
Canzona 1, string orchestra (1943/1980) [1980 reworking of score to "Hamlet", 1943]
Sinfonia in D, string orchestra (1943)
Cambridge Overture, string orchestra (1946)
A Song of Islands, orchestra (1946) [originally titled "Song of the Antipodes"]
Diversions (5 mvts), string [orchestra] (1947) [Vivace; Poco adagio; Presto; Andante; Allegro]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1949)
Canzona 3, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
Canzona 4, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (1951; rev. 1974)
Suite for Orchestra (1955; rev. 1956)
A Birthday Offering, orchestra (1956) [for the 10th anniversary of the National Orchestra of New Zealand]
Three Poems of the Sea, narrator and string orchestra (1958)
    - Sir Patrick Spens [text: traditional]
    - Come Unto These Yellow Sands [text: Shakespeare]
    - The Changeling [text: Allen Curnow]
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (1961)

Band
Suite for Brass Band (1959)
Suite for Brass Band (4 mvts) (1959) ["Never finalised" written on the score]

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Prodigal Country, soloist, chorus and orchestra (1939)

Chorus w/Orchestra
Prodigal Country, baritone, chorus and orchestra (1939) [text: Robin Hyde; Allen Curnow; and Walt Whitman]

Choral
Choruses, baritone, male chorus and mixed chorus (1937l; unfinished) [text: T.S. Eliot]
Harvestmen A-singing, chorus (1939)
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, chorus (1942) [original title "Evening Service"]
Songs May be Sung of the Past and its Glory, voices and pf (or org) (1944; rev. 1981) [text: Frank Milner; Waitaki Boys' HS song]
A Song for Otago University, voices [chorus?] and piano (1945) [text: James K. Baxter]
The Magpies (2 songs), [female?] chorus [SSA] (1954) [text: Denis Glover]
Pardon Goddess of the Night, chorus (1955) [song from "Much Ado About Nothing"]

Chamber
Phantasy for String Quartet (Westron Wynde) (1939)
Canzonetta No. 1, violin and viola (1942)
Canzonetta No. 2, violin and viola (1943)
Canzona 2, solo violin and string quartet (1944/1980) [1980 reworking of "Willow Song" from "Othello", 1944]
String Trio (1945)
String Quartet, E minor (1946; rev. 1981)
Diversions, 2 clarinets and 2 trumpets (1947)
Canon for 2 Clarinets (1947)
Duos, 2 violins (1954) [6 mvts: Andante con moto; Allegro; Andante; Allegro; Lento; Allegramente][orig. titled "Duo for 2 Violins"]
Pieces in Serial Technique, strings (1955) [for various string combinations]
Quartet for Brass Instruments (5 mvts), 2 trumpets, horn and trombone (1957)
Wind Quintet (1957) [3 mvts]
Canzonetta No. 3, violin and viola (1958)
Processional Fanfare, 3 trumpets and organ (1960) [arr. 1985 for 3 trumpets and small orchestra]
Grand Canyon Uprun, wind quintet (1961/1987) [arr. 1987 from film score "Grand Canyon Uprun", 1961]
['Oddments' of various works by Douglas Lilburn], various instrumentations (1939-78)

Instrument and Piano
Sonata in C, violin and piano (1943; edited 1983; rev. 1986)
Sonata in E flat, violin and piano (1943; edited 1984)
Allegro Concertante, violin and piano (1944; rev. 1945)
Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano (1948) [3 mvts]
Sonata, violin and piano (1950)

Solo Instrument
Desdemona's Song, guitar (1944) [arr. 1991 from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
Flores del Mar - [Canzona:] The Flowers of the Sea, guitar (1953/1962) [arr. 1962 from the fifth song of "Sings Harry", 1953]
Suite for Solo Viola (1955) [4 mvts]
Lento, guitar (1962)
Seventeen Pieces for Guitar (1962/1969-70)
[Untitled], viola (1972) [slow mvt of a set of 3 short mvts written for Gavin Saunders; outer mvts withdrawn by Lilburn]
Three Canzonas, [????] [arr. 1993 for tenor recorder] [arr. from "Four Canzonas???]

Piano or Organ
Sonata in C minor, piano, op. 1 (1932) [3 mvts]
Sonata in G minor, piano (1937; incomplete)
Sonata for Pianoforte No. 2, F sharp minor (1939) [2 mvts]
Sonata for Piano, A minor (1939) [3 mvts]
Piece in E major, piano (1940)
The Young Pine-Tree, piano (1941)
A Musical Offering of Preludes, Musical Boxes, and a Tempo di Bolero, piano 6-hands (1941)
    - [Prelude No. 1]: Sostenuto
    - [Prelude No. 2]: Allegro jubilate
    - [Prelude No.  3]: Grave
    - [Prelude No.  4]: Allegro
    - Musical-box No. 1
            - The Lassie's Lament
            - Interlude
            - The Highland Gathering
    - Musical-box No. 2
            - Trio, Codetta
            - Tempo di Bolero
Rondino for a Birthday to L.A.B., piano (1942)
Christmas 1942 (5 pieces), piano (1942)
    - Allegro
    - Lento non troppo
    - Allegro [No. 1 of "Four Preludes"]
    - Allegretto
    - Musical Box ["Lin Tang thanks his friends for a birthday gift"]
Five Bagatelles, piano (1942) [No. 4 was extracted as "From the Port Hills"]
    - From the Port Hills, piano (1942) [No. 4 from "Five Bagatelles", 1942]
Three Preludes 1943, piano (1943)
Christmas 1943 (6 pieces?), piano (1943)
    - Christmas 1812
    - Prelude [no. 1]
    - Prelude [no. 2]
    - Players' music [from "Hamlet"]
    - Lady Wood's Fancie ('Don't you think, Mr _______, that the New Zealand scenereh has rather a melancholeh beauteh?')
    - Andante
Four Preludes for Piano (1942-44) [also in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Allegro grazioso
    - Allegro deciso
    - Sostenuto
    - Allegro
Adagio sostenuto, piano (1944) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
A Christmas Offering 1944 (34 pieces), piano (1944)
    - Flourish
    - Prelude [no. 1]
    - Prelude [no. 2]
    - Prelude [no. 3]
    - Prelude [no. 4]
    - Willow Song
    - Vivace
    - Diversion [no. 1]
    - Diversion [no. 2]
    - Thoughts During Christmas Week 1944 [24 short pieces in 3/4]
    - Epilogue
Prelude and Fugue in G minor, organ (1944)
Sea Change, piano (1945) [No. 1 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
Sonatina No. 1, piano (1946) [3 mvts]
    - alternative 2nd mvt to "Sonatina No. 1", 1946
[Piano Music], piano (1946)
Chaconne, piano (1946; rev. 1972 and 1990) [originally titled "Theme and Variations for Piano"]
Allegro, piano (1948) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Variations on a Theme by Douglas Lilburn, piano (1948)
    - Variation 1: D. Farquhar; 2: R. Dellow; 3: E. Carr; 4: D. Franchi; 5: R. Tremain, 6: L. Pruden (incomplete)
Prelude 1948, piano (1948)
Sonata, piano (1949) [3 mvts] [known as "Sonata (1949)"]
Two Christmas Pieces for L.B., piano (1949) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Moths and Candles, piano (1950) [extracted from "The First Two Years at School", 1950]
Prelude, piano (1950)
Sea Change, piano (1950) [No. 2 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
Two Preludes, piano (1951) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Prelude, piano (1951)
Piece for Four Hands, piano 4-hands (1951) [also known as "Allegro non troppo"]
Sonata, piano (1951-52; rev. 1956) [3 mvts] [referred to as "Sonata (1956)"]
Rondino, piano (1952) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Poco Lento, piano (1956) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Variations on a Popular Tune as Sung by Master L. S. Page, piano (1960)
Four Preludes, piano (1944-60) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Poco Lento, piano (1960) [No. 1 in "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
Sonatina No. 2, piano (1962) [3 mvts]
[Six Pieces], piano (1962-63)
    - No. 1 [pub. as No. 7 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 2 [pub. as No. 8 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 3 [pub. as No. 9 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 4
    - No. 5
    - No. 6 [pub. as No. 2 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
Andante sostenuto, piano (1964) [No. 18 in "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
[Five Pieces], piano (1964)
    - No. 1 [pub. as No. 11 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 2 [pub. as No. 12 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 3 [pub. as No. 13 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 4 [pub. as No. 14 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 5 [pub. as No. 3 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
[Three Pieces], piano (1964)
    - No. 1 [pub. as No. 10 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 2 [pub. as No. 16 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
    - No. 3 [pub. as No. 17 of "Eighteen Short Pieces", 1965]
Canonic Studies, piano (1964-65)
Homage to J. S. Bach, piano (1965)
Gamelan for Six Hands, piano 6-hands (1965)
Fred's Birthday, piano (1965)
Eighteen Short Pieces, piano (1960-65)
    - No. 1: Poco Lento, piano (1960)
    - No. 2 [originally No. 6 of "[Six Pieces]", 1962]
    - No. 3 [originally No. 5 of "[Five Pieces}, 1964]
    - No. 4: Allegro, piano (1965)
    - No. 5:
    - No. 6:
    - No. 7 [originally No. 1 of "[Six Pieces]", 1962]
    - No. 8 [originally No. 2 of "[Six Pieces]", 1962]
    - No. 9 [originally No. 3 of "[Six Pieces]", 1962]
    - No. 10 [originally No. 1 of "[Three Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 11 [originally No. 1 of "[Five Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 12 [originally No. 2 of "[Five Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 13 [originally No. 3 of "[Five Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 14 [originally No. 4 of "[Five Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 15
    - No. 16 [originally No. 2 of "[Three Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 17 [originally No. 3 of "[Three Pieces], 1964]
    - No. 18: Andante sostenuto, piano (1964)
Canon for Six Hands, piano 6-hands (1965)
[Untitled (1)], piano (1965)
Five serial pieces, piano (1965) [includes "Vivo la System!" and "Homage a DAF"]
[Untitled (2)], piano (1965)
Seven Pieces, piano (1965-66)
Nine Short Pieces, piano (1965-66; rev. 1967)
Three Bars for M.N., piano (1968) [originally titled "Three Bars for the Blood and Bone"]
Sea Change, piano (1972) [No. 3 of "Three Sea Changes", 1982]
Still Music for W.N.R., piano (1973) [W.N.R. = William 'Bill' Norrie Rogers] [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Andante commodo, piano (1973) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Occasional Pieces for Piano (1942-73)
    - Four Preludes (1942-44) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Two Christmas Preludes for L.B. (1949) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Allegro (1948) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Four Preludes (194[4]-60) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Rondino (1952) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Two Preludes (1951) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Andante (1950) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Poco lento (1956) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Three Bars for M.N. (1968) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Adagio sostenuto (1944) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Andante commodo (1973) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
    - Still Music for W.N.R. (1973) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
[Untitled], piano (1981)
Three Sea Changes, piano (1945/1950/1972) [collected and revised 1982]
[Miscellaneous sketches], piano (1944-96)

Vocal
Summer's Sadness, baritone and piano (1940) [text: D'Arcy Cresswell]
Landfall in Unknown Seas (4 mvts), narrator and string orchestra (1942) [text: Allen Curnow]
Willow Song, mezzo-soprano and piano (1944; rev. 1978) [text: Shakespeare] [from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
Elegy (I.M. Noel Newson) (4 songs), soprano, contralto and string orchestra (1945; rev. 1981)
    - To Daffodils [text: Herrick]
    - The Sick Rose [text: Blake]
    - Virtue [text: Herbert]
    - Fear No More [text: Shakespeare]
Holiday Piece, medium voice and piano (1946; rev. 1950) [text: Denis Glover]
O Fons Bandusiae, voice and piano (1946) [text: Horace III, XIII; translated by R.A.K. Mason]
Song Thinking of Her Dead, voice and piano (1946) [text: R.A.K. Mason]
Summer Afternoon, voice and piano (1947) [text: Basil Dowling] [No. 1 of "Three Songs"]
Li Po in Spring, voice and piano (1947) [text: James K. Baxter]
The Islands (2 songs), voice and piano (1948) [text: Charles Brasch]
    - Darkness and light in archetypal sway . . .
    - Always in these islands, meeting and parting . . .
Lines in Autumn, voice and piano (1950) [text: Basil Dowling]
Elegy, song cycle (8 songs), baritone and piano (1951) [text: Alistair Te Ariki Campbell]
    - The Hollyford Valley
    - Now He is Dead
    - Now Sleeps the Gorge
    - Reverie
    - Driftwood
    - Wind and Rain
    - Farewell
    - The Laid-out Body
Sings Harry (6 songs), baritone and piano (1953) [text: Denis Glover] [also arr. for tenor and guitar (or piano)]
    - Song I ("These songs . . .")
    - Song III ("When I am Old . . .")
    - Once the Days
    - The Casual Man
    - The Flowers of the Sea
    - I Remember
            - Flores del Mar - [Canzona:] The Flowers of the Sea, guitar (1953/1962) [arr. 1962 from the fifth song of "Sings Harry", 1953]
Clear Sky, voice and piano (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas] [No. 2 from "Three Songs"]
The Picnic, voice and piano (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas] [No. 3 from "Three Songs"]
Three Songs, voice and piano (1947-54; rev. 1985)
    - Summer Afternoon (1947) [text: Basil Dowling]
    - Clear Sky (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas]
    - The Picnic (1954) [text: Ruth Dallas]
Three Songs for Baritone and Viola (1958)
    - Warning of Winter [text: Ursula Bethal]
    - Song of Allegiance [text: R.A.K. Mason]
    - Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness [text: James K. Baxter]
Three Poems of the Sea, narrator and string orchestra (1958)
    - Sir Patrick Spens [text: traditional]
    - Come Unto These Yellow Sands [text: Shakespeare]
    - The Changeling [text: Allen Curnow]
The Return, narrator and tape (1965) [text: Alistair Campbell]
Norah's Song to the Skull, mezzo-soprano (1973) [from the incidental music for "The Wide Open Cage", 1973]

Incidental/Film
Hamlet, incidental music [3 violins and tubular bells] (1943) [Shakespeare] [see also "Canzona 1", 1943/1980]
Othello, incidental music [violin and piano] (1944) [Shakespeare]
    - Desdemona's Song, guitar (1944) [arr. 1991 from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
    - Willow Song, mezzo-soprano and piano (1944; rev. 1978) [text: Shakespeare] [from incidental music for "Othello", 1944]
            - Canzona 2, solo violin and string quartet (1944/1980) [1980 reworking of "Willow Song" from "Othello", 1944]
Distant Point, incidental music (1944) [songs for a production of Aleksandr Afinogenov's play]
A Midsummer Night's Dream, incidental music [flute, cornet and 2 horns] (1945) [Shakespeare]
King Henry V, incidental music [2 trumpets] (1945) [Shakespeare]
Macbeth, incidental music [recorder, piper, trumpet, cello and timpani] (1946) [Shakespeare]
The Infernal Machine, incidental music (1947) [for production of Jean Cocteau's play]
Weekly Review 332: Hokianga...Backblock Medical Service, short doc. film score [small orch] (1947) [for National Film Unit]
Journey for Three, film score [chamber orchestra] (1948) [for National Film Unit]
Weekly Review 346: Rhythm and Movement, short documentary film score [small orch] (1948) [for National Film Unit]
The Trojan Women, incidental music [flute, violin, trumpet and piano] (1949) [for production of Euripides' play]
This is New Zealand, documentary film score [small orchestra] (1949) [for BBC]
Andante, piano (1950) [in "Occasional Pieces for Piano", 1973]
Cornet Rilke, incidental music, str qt (1950) [for reading of Rilke's "Die Weise von Leben und Tod des Cornetts Cristoph Rilke"]
    - Canzona 3, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
    - Canzona 4, string orchestra (1950/1980) [1980 reworking of material from "The Lay of Love and Death of Cornet Rilke", 1950]
The First Two Years at School, documentary film score [flute, 2 clarinets, piano and strings] (1950)
    - Moths and Candles, piano (1950) [extracted from "The First Two Years at School", 1950]
Hamlet, incidental music [2 trumpets, violin and percussion] (1952) [Shakespeare]
Salutes to Seven Poets, incidental music [violin and piano] (1952; rev. 1989) [8 mvts]
Dandy Dick, incidental music (1953) [for a production of Pinero's play]
Ned Kelly, incidental music (1953) [for production of Douglas Stewart's play]
St. Joan, incidental music [oboe, 3 tpts, 3 trombones and strings] (1955) [for a production of George Bernard Shaw's play]
The Merchant of Venice, incidental music [oboe, oboe d'amore, 2 tpt, trombone, hpscd, cymbal & 3 vlns] (1957) [Shakespeare]
The Axe, incidental music [tape and musique concrete] (1961) [for a production of Allen Curnow's play]
Grand Canyon Uprun, documentary film score [wind quintet] (1961)
    - Grand Canyon Uprun, wind quintet (1961/1987) [arr. 1987 from film score "Grand Canyon Uprun", 1961]
Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, incidental music [fife, tenor, recorder, 2 ob, bsn, 3 tpt, tabor, side drum, hpschd, viola & singers] (1962)
The Pitcher and the Well, incidental music [tape] (1964) [for a production based on readings from J. D. Duncan's book]
The Suicide, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Alistair Te Ariki Campbell's play]
The Spiral Tattoo, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
The Golden Lover, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of Douglas Stewart's play]
He Mana Toa, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
Hot Spring, incidental music [tape] (1968) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
He Tohu o Waharoa, incidental music [tape] (1969) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
The Wide Open Cage, incidental music [tape] (1973) [for a production of James K. Baxter's play]

Electronic
Five Toronto Pieces, tape (1963) [18:00]
    - Prelude [3:48]
    - Two Part Scrabble [1:19]
    - White Noise Study [3:09]
    - Sings Harry [narrated by Lilburn] [5:04]
    - Spectrum Study [4:52]
The Pitcher and the Well, incidental music [tape] (1964) [for a production based on readings from J. D. Duncan's book]
[Pieces from the Wiltshire Barn, 1964], tape (1964)
The Return, narrator and tape (1965) [text: Alistair Campbell] [17:03]
The Suicide, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Alistair Te Ariki Campbell's play]
The Spiral Tattoo, incidental music [tape] (1966) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
Fragments of a Poem, tape (1966) [6:48]
The Golden Lover, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of Douglas Stewart's play]
Concerto ostinato, tape (1967)
Textures from Metals, tape (1967)
Poem in Time of War, tape (1967) [15:20]
He Mana Toa, incidental music [tape] (1967) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
Cicadas, Oscillators and Treefrogs, tape (1967) [2:33]
Study from One Note, tape (1967) [4:30]
Little Oscillators in Disneyland, tape (1968) [3:15]
Three Studies for Gustav Ciamaga, tape (1968) [9:00]
    - Study 1 [2:48]
    - Study 2 [3:24]
    - Study 3 [2:53]
Hot Spring, incidental music [tape] (1968) [for a production of Adele Schafer's play]
He Tohu o Waharoa, incidental music [tape] (1969) [for a production of James Ritchie's play]
Summer Voices, tape (1969) [6:28]
Five Toronto Pieces, tape (1969) [16:00]
    - No. 1 [3:16]
    - No. 2 [4:11]
    - No. 3 [4:13]
    - No. 4 [2:44]
    - No. 5 [3:53]
Toronto Tailfeather, tape (1969) [1:08]
Dance Sequence - Expo 70, tape (1970) [10:53]
Lilburn vs Putney, tape (1971) [compilation sampler of work with the Putney VCS3 synthesiser]
Staircase Music, tape (1971)
Glass Music, tape (1971) [6:25]
Three Inscapes, tape (1972) [12:40]
God Save, tape (1972) [1:09] [demonstration piece for Electronic Music Studio/Victoria University Wellington]
The Wide Open Cage, incidental music [tape] (1973) [for a production of James K. Baxter's play]
    - Norah's Song to the Skull, mezzo-soprano (1973) [from the incidental music for "The Wide Open Cage", 1973]
Lines and Distances, tape (1975) [16:08]
Sounds and Distances, tape [stereo and 4 channel versions] (1975) [9:55/10:10]
Carousel, tape (1976) [10:43]
Winterset, tape (1976) [9:49]
Triptych, tape (1977) [10:39]
Of Time and Nostalgia, tape (1977) [10:48]
Soundscape with Lake and River, tape (1979) [11:10]


LILBURN  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Lilburn on Lilburn       ~ top of page ~
[under construction]
Celebrating Composer Douglas Lilburn (TheBigIdea.co.nz)
Discovering Douglas Lilburn (Mona Seghatoleslami, WVPB)
Douglas Lilburn: His Life and Music (Philip Norman, NZine)
Douglas Lilburn: His Life and Music (Philip Norman, The Arts Foundation)
Douglas Lilburn - Obituary (Peter Walls, The Guardian)
Landscape of a New Zealand Composer (Radio New Zealand)
A Search for Tradition by Douglas Lilburn/Review (Lyell Cresswell, New Zealand Listener)

Composer website    . . .   inquire about Douglas Lilburn: here

Lilburn @ Wikipedia
Lilburn @ Amplifier NZ Music
Lilburn @ Answers.com
Lilburn @ Bach Cantatas
Lilburn @ Classical Archives
Lilburn @ Classical Composers Database
Lilburn @ Classical Net
Lilburn @ The Classical Source
Lilburn @ Classically Speaking (Mona Seghatoleslami, WVPB)
Lilburn @ ClassicsToday
Lilburn @ composition:today
Lilburn @ Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
Lilburn @ Facebook
Lilburn @ InstantEncore
Lilburn @ Lilburn Residence Trust
Lilburn @ MusicWeb International
Lilburn @ Naxos
Lilburn @ The New York Times
Lilburn @ NZ Musician
Lilburn @ REC Music Foundation /The Lied and Art Song Texts Page
Lilburn @ SOUNZ
Lilburn @ Talk Classical
Lilburn @ Tokafi

Publisher
Lilburn @ J. Albert
Lilburn @ Caxton Press
Lilburn @ Faber Music [G. Schirmer]
Lilburn @ Hinrichsen [sole agents: C.F. Peters]
Lilburn @ Massey University Music
Lilburn @ Otago University Press
Lilburn @ Oxford University Press
Lilburn @ Theodore Presser
Lilburn @ Price Milburn Music
Lilburn @ Promethean Editions
Lilburn @ Wai-te-ata Press

Streaming Audio
Lilburn @ Classical Archives
Lilburn @ Classically Speaking (Mona Seghatoleslami, WVPB)
Lilburn @ last.fm
Lilburn @ Radio New Zealand/Landscape of a New Zealand Composer
Lilburn @ Rhapsody.com

Recordings
Lilburn @ Amazon.com
Lilburn @ ArkivMusic
Lilburn @ CDeMusic
Lilburn @ CD Universe
Lilburn @ ClassicsOnline
Lilburn @ Discogs
Lilburn @ Trust Records

Video
Lilburn @ YouTube
Lilburn @ Google Video
Lilburn @ Vimeo  -  search "Douglas Lilburn"    OR by Google Search  here

                                                                                                                                                                 ~ top of page ~
Lilburn on Lilburn: Discovering Douglas Lilburn (Mona Seghatoleslami/WVPB)(streaming audio)
Douglas Lilburn, composerComposers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~







Lilburn on Lilburn: Landscape of a New Zealand Composer (Radio NZ) (streaming audio)
Douglas Lilburn, composerComposers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~







. . . and check out more    Composers Speak on the Web    at Pytheas

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