Born18 July 1933 (age 82)
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada (1933-07-18) GenresAvant-garde, classical, opera, musical theatre Occupation(s)Composer, librettist, pedagogue, writer, educator, environmentalist EducationRoyal College of Music (1952), University of Toronto AwardsJuno Award for Classical Composition of the Year CompositionsLe Cri de Merlin, Le Cri de Merlin, Letters From Mignon, Letters From Mignon, The Darkly Splendid Earth: The Lonely Traveller, The Darkly Splendid Earth: The Lonely Traveller, Duo For Violin And Piano, Duo For Violin And Piano, Concerto for Harpsichord and Eight Wind Instruments, Concerto for Harpsichord and Eight Wind Instruments, String Quartet No 8, String Quartet No 8, Quatuors a cordes No 12, Quatuors a cordes No 12, Dream Rainbow Dream Thunder, Dream Rainbow Dream Thunder, Theseus, Theseus, String Quartet No 5 - 'Rosalind', String Quartet No 5 - 'Rosalind', Adieu - Robert Schumann - The Garden of the Heart, Adieu - Robert Schumann - The Garden of the Heart, Credo, Credo, Once On A Windy Night, Once On A Windy Night, Trio for Violin - Viola and Cello, Trio for Violin - Viola and Cello, Gitanjali - The Garden of the Heart, Gitanjali - The Garden of the Heart, Concerto For Flute and Orchestra, Concerto For Flute and Orchestra BooksThe tuning of the world, The soundscape, Patria: The Complete Cycle, My Life on Earth and Elsewhere, Ear cleaning Similar PeopleJudy Loman, Igor Stravinsky, Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ariel Ramirez
Birth nameRaymond Murray Schafer
R murray schafer string quartet no 12 2012
Raymond Murray Schafer, (born 18 July 1933) is a Canadian composer, writer, music educator and environmentalist perhaps best known for his World Soundscape Project, concern for acoustic ecology, and his book The Tuning of the World (1977). He was notably the first recipient of the Jules Léger Prize in 1978.
Born in Sarnia, Ontario, he studied at the Royal Schools of Music in London, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and the University of Toronto. At the last institution he was a pupil of Richard Johnston.
His music education theories are followed around the world. He started soundscape studies at Simon Fraser University in the 1960s.
In addition to introducing the concept of soundscape, he also coined the term schizophonia in 1969, the splitting of a sound from its source or the condition caused by this split: "We have split the sound from the maker of the sound. Sounds have been torn from their natural sockets and given an amplified and independent existence. Vocal sound, for instance, is no longer tied to a hole in the head but is free to issue from anywhere in the landscape." Steven Feld, borrowing a term from Gregory Bateson, calls the recombination and recontextualization of sounds split from their sources schismogenesis.
In 1987 he was awarded the first Glenn Gould Prize in recognition of his contributions. In 2005 he was awarded the Walter Carsen Prize, by the Canada Council for the Arts, one of the top honours for lifetime achievement by a Canadian artist. In 2009, Schafer received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts. In 2013, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as an internationally renowned composer of contemporary music, and for his groundbreaking work in acoustic ecology".
Schafer is a practitioner of graphic notation.
Compositions
Theatre
Job (Schafer et al., after the Biblical book of Job). 2011 (Kingston, Ont 2011). Chor (SATB), actors, et cetra. (Premieres 14, 15 May at 8:00 pm EST at Sydenham Street United Church, Kingston, Ontario.)
Jonah (Schafer et al., after the Biblical book of Jonah). 1979 (Maynooth, Ont 1979). Chor (SATB), actors, fl, clarinet, organ, percussion. Arcana 1980
Patria (1966—)
Patria: The Prologue, The Princess of the Stars
Patria 1: Wolfman
Patria 2: Requiems for the Party Girl
Patria 3: The Greatest Show
Adapted into the film Carnival of Shadows
Patria 4: The Black Theatre of Hermes Trismegistos
Patria 5: The Crown of Ariadne
Patria 6: Ra
Patria 7: Asterion
Patria 8: The Palace of the Cinnabar Phoenix
Patria 9: The Enchanted Forest
Patria 10: The Spirit Garden
Patria: The Epilogue: And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon
Orchestra
In Memoriam: Alberto Guerrero. 1959 (Vancouver 1962). Str orch. Arcana 1985. Centrediscs CMC-2887 (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra)
Partita for String Orchestra. 1961 (Hal 1963). Arcana. CBC SM-15 (CBC Vancouver Orchestra)
Canzoni for Prisoners. 1962 (Montreal 1963). Full orch. Ber 1977
Untitled Composition for Orchestra No.1. 1963 (Toronto 1966). Sm orch. Ber 1977
Untitled Composition for Orchestra No. 2. 1963. Full orch. Ber 1977
Statement in Blue. 1964 (Toronto 1965). Youth orch. BMIC 1966, UE 1971. 1970. Mel SMLP-4017 (Lawrence Park Collegiate O, J. McDougall conductor)
Son of Heldenleben. 1968 (Montreal 1968). Full orch, tape. UE 1976. RCI 387/Sel CC-15-101/5-ACM 3 (MSO)
No Longer than Ten (10) Minutes. 1970. Rev 1972 (Toronto 1971). Full orch. Ber 1977
East (meditations on a text from Ishna Upanishad). 1972 (Bath, England, 1973). Sm orch. UE 1977. RCI 434/5-ACM 3 (NACO)
North/White. 1973 (Vancouver 1973). Full orch, snowmobile. UE 1980
Train. 1976 (Toronto 1976). Youth orch. Ber 1977
Cortège. 1977(Ott 1977). Sm orch. UE 1981
Ko wo kiku ('Listen to the Incense'). 1985 (Kyoto 1985). Full orch. Arcana 1989
Minnelieder (various Medieval German poets). 1956 (chamber version), 1987 (orch version) (Quebec City 1987 orch version). Mezzo, woodwind quintet or mezzo, orch. Ber 1970 (chamber version), Arcana (rental, orch version, with one additional song 'Über den Linden,' text by Walter von der Vogelweider). (chamber version) RCI 218/RCA CCS-1012/5-ACM 3
Protest and Incarceration (East European poets). 1960 (Toronto 1967). Mezzo, orch. Ms
Threnody (Japanese children). 1966, rev 1967 (Vancouver 1967). Choir, orch, tape. Ber 1970. 1970. Mel SMLP-4017 (Lawrence Park Collegiate O and Choir, J. Barron conductor)
Lustro. 1970-2 (CBC Toronto 1973). Comprising:
Part 1: Divan i Shams i Tabriz (Jalal al din Rumi). 1969, rev 1970. 6 solo voices, orch, tape. UE 1977
Part 2: Music for the Morning of the World (various). 1970. V, 4-track tape. UE 1973. 2-Mel SMLP-4035-6 (K. Terrell)
Part 3: Beyond the Great Gate of Light (Tagore). 1972. 6 solo voices, orch, tape. UE 1977
Arcana (Schafer, transl into Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs by D.B. Redford) 12 of the 14 songs (all but no. 9 and 12) appear in Patria 4. 1972 (Montreal 1973 orch version). V, orch (voice, chamber ensemble). Ms. UE 1977 (chamber version). RCI 434/5-ACM 3 (Morrison)
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. 1997. Viola, orch
Chamber
Concerto for Harpsichord and Eight Wind Instruments. 1954 (Montreal 1959). Arcana 1990. RCI 193 (K. Jones harpsichord)/Centrediscs CMC-CD-3488 (Tilney harpsichord)
Sonatina for Flute and Harpsichord (or Piano) 1958. Ber 1976
Five Studies on Texts by Prudentius. 1962. Sop, 4 fl. BMIC 1965
4 arias from Loving: The Geography of Eros (1963), and Air Ishtar, Modesty, Vanity (all 1965). Sop, chamber ensemble (Modesty), mezzo, chamber ensemble (Ishtar, Vanity, and Eros). Ber 1979
Requiems for the Party Girl (Schafer) from Patria 2. 1966. Mezzo, chamber ensemble. BMIC 1967. RCI 299/5-ACM 3 (Mailing mezzo, SMCQ)/Mel SMLP-4026 (Mailing, instr ensemble, Schafer conductor)/CRI SD-245 (Pilgrim soprano, Chicago U Contemporary Chamb Players, Shapey conductor)
Minimusic. 1967. Any comb of instr or voice. UE 1971, Ber 1972
The Crown of Ariadne, from Patria 3 and Patria 5. Ca 1979. Hp, percussion (by the harpist). Arcana 1980. Aquitaine MS-90570/Centrediscs CMC-CD-41-4292 (Loman)/Mark MC-20485 (Mario Falcao)
Music for Wilderness Lake. 1979. 12 trombone, small rural lake. Arcana 1981
Beauty and the Beast (Schafer, after de Beaumont) from Patria 3. 1979. Alto with masks, string quartet. Arcana 1983 (Eng text and French transl)
Wizard Oil and Indian Sagwa (Schafer) from Patria 3. 1980. Speaker, clarinet. Arcana 1982
String Quartet No. 7. Soprano and percussion. 1998
Four-Forty. String quartet, orch. 2000
String Quartet No. 8. Tape. 2001
String Quartet No. 9. 2005
String Quartet No. 10. 2005
String Quartet No. 11. 2006
String Quartet No. 12. 2012
Choir
Four Songs on Texts of Tagore. 1962. Sop, mezzo, alto, SA. Ms
Gita (Bhagavad Gita), from Patria 1. 1967. SATB, brass, tape. UE 1977
Epitaph for Moonlight (invented words by Grade 7 students), from Patria 5. 1968. SATB, bells (optional). BMIC 1969, UE 1971. CBC SM-274/5-ACM 3 (Festival Singers)/Mel SMLP-4017 (Lawrence Park Collegiate Choir, J. Barron conductor)/Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)/P3-C (cass) (Powell River Academy Singers, Don James dir)/World WRC-257 (University of Alberta Concert Choir, Larry Cook conductor)
From the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thödol) from Patria 2. 1968. Sop, SATB, alto fl, clarinet, tape. UE 1973
Two Anthems (formerly Yeow and Pax ) (Isaiah). 1969. SATB, organ, tape. Ber 1980
In Search of Zoroaster (Sacred Books of the East). 1971. Male voice, SATB (at least 150 voices), percussion, organ (tape). Ber 1976
Miniwanka or the Moments of Water (North American Indian dialects). 1971. SA (SATB). UE 1973. RCI 434 (Vancouver Bach Choir)/Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)/ARU 8701-CD (F.A.C.E. Senior Treble Choir, Iwan Edwards, dir)/Centrediscs CMC-2285 (Toronto Children's Chor)/Imperial unnumbered (Powell River Boys' Choir, James dir)
Psalm (formerly Tehillah), from Apocalypsis (Psalm 148). 1972, rev 1976. Mixed chorus, percussion. Ber 1976. RCI 434 (Vancouver Bach Choir)
Credo (Giordano Bruno, adpt by Schafer), from Apocalypsis. 1977. 12 choirs, tape, optional string and/or synthesizer. Arcana 1986
Felix's Girls (Henry Felix) from Patria 3. 1979. SATB quartet or choir. Arcana 1980. Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)
Gamelan (Balinese solmization syllables), from Patria 3. 1979. Quar or choir (SATB, SASA, TBTB). Arcana 1980. Grouse GR-100/Marquis MAR-106/Grouse 101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)
Sun (words for sun in 36 languages) from Princess of the Stars (Patria prologue). 1982. SATB. Arcana 1983. 2-Centrediscs CMC-14-1584/RCI 585 (Elmer Iseler Singers)/Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)
A Garden of Bells (Schafer et al.). 1983. SATB. Arcana 1984. Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)
Snowforms (Inuit words for 'snow'). 1981, rev 1983. SA. Arcana 1986. Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamber Choir)
The Star Princess and the Waterlilies (Schafer), from And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon (Patria conclusion). 1984. Narr, children's chorus, light percussion. Arcana 1984. TCC TCC-D-004 (Toronto Children's Chor)
Fire (Schafer) from Patria 5. 1986. SATB, light percussion. Arcana 1986. Grouse GR-101-C (cass) (Vancouver Chamb Choir)
La Testa d'Adriane (Schafer), from Patria 3. 1977. Sop, accordion. Arcana 1980/in R. Murray Schafer: A Collection. Mel SMLP-4034 (Morrison soprano)
Sun Father Sky Mother (Schafer) from And Wolf Shall Inherit the Moon (Patria conclusion). 1985. Solo voice in a mountain setting, near water and forest. Musical Canada
Tantrika (Sanskrit words from Tantric texts), from Patria 3. 1986. Mezzo, 4 percussion. 1986
