New Zealand composer Lyell Cresswell died in March 2022
Listen to a Composer of the Week interview with Lyell Cresswell on the occasion of his 70th birthday
Despite having lived in Scotland for most of his life, Cresswell identified strongly with New Zealand and said of his two countries:
"I've been living in Scotland for a long time but I don't see myself as a Scot. I am a New Zealander living in Scotland... I don't think my music sounds like British music generally speaking. It's things like the orchestration has a clarity which is something to do with being in NZ, being quieter. You're nearer to nature in New Zealand than you can be in Europe."
Collection items
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Piano Concerto No 2
19 Oct 2017The world première performed by Michael Houstoun and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Johannes Fritzsch. Video, Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Salm
1 Jan 1990Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Piero Gamba. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Violin Concerto
1 Nov 2011A 1971 studio recording by violinist Alex Lindsay and the NZBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edwin Carr. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Ylur
21 Nov 2019New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Hamish McKeich (conductor). Recorded by RNZ Concert, 25 May 2007 Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Four Sentimental Songs
1 Jan 1972For soprano, piano, and a bag of wooden clothes pegs. Performed by Scilla Askew and Bruce Greenfield. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Threnody for Mrs S who drowned at her baptism
1 Jan 1971Performed by the New Zealand Broadcast Orchestra with Peter Vere-Jones. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Seven Shaker Songs
1 Jan 1990Performed by Roger Wilson (baritone) and Bruce Greenfield (piano). Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Three Songs
1 Jan 1996Performed by Judy Bellingham (soprano) and Terence Dennis (piano). Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Dancing on a Volcano
1 Jan 1997Performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by János Fürst. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?
1 Jan 2007Performed by Stephen De Pledge (piano). Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Le Sucre du Printemps
19 Nov 2013Harry Sparnaay (bass/contrabass clarinets); in a recording from 29 December 1983. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Chiaroscuro
4 Nov 2014From Landscape Preludes. Stephen De Pledge, piano. Recorded by Radio New Zealand Concert in the Ilott Theatre, Wellington Town Hall, 27 February 2008. Audio
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Lyell Cresswell - Das Lied von dem Fisch
23 Oct 2015Soprano Jennifer Maybee and pianist Kent Isomura perform Lyell Cresswell's cycle of songs on various fishy topics. The first and title song is about a constipated goldfish. Video, Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Of Smoke and Bickering Flame
25 Aug 2018Performed by the Auckland Chamber Orchestra conducted by Peter Scholes at its concert in the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Auckland, 29 April 2018. Video, Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: The Blackness of Darkness
David Titterington (organ of Wellington Town Hall). Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Fragments of Existence Withdrawn from Time
28 Jan 2016Lysis: Roger Dean (keyboards), Hazel Smith (violin), Torbjörn Hultmark (trumpet). Recorded by Radio New Zealand Concert on 14th June 1990. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Prayers for the Cure of a Sprained Back
28 Jan 2016Jane Manning (soprano), Maurice Till (piano). Recorded by Radio New Zealand on 12th March 1982. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Moto Perpetuo
NZTrio. Recorded by RNZ Concert, 27 July 2006. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Mezzotinto
1 May 2017Stephen De Pledge (piano). Recorded by RNZ Concert, 1 September 2010. Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Lacrimae
21 Nov 2019Christoph Richter (cello). Recorded by RNZ Concert, 4 February 2005 Audio
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Lyell CRESSWELL: Voices of Ocean Winds
23 Mar 1990Performed by the Orpheus Choir of Wellington and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Heinz Wallberg Audio
