Bruce Mather

Bruce Mather (born May 9, 1939) is a Canadian composer, pianist, teacher, and writer who is particularly known for his contributions to contemporary classical music.

Career One of the most notable composers of microtonal music, he was awarded the Jules Léger Prize twice, first in 1979 for his Musique pour Champigny and again in 1993 for Yquem. Some of his other awards include the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada's Micheline Coulombe Saint-Marcoux prize in 1987 for Barbaresco and the Serge Garant Prize from the Émile Nelligan Foundation in 2000.

Mather is an associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. As a writer he has contributed works to numerous musical journals and publications, including authoring the articles on Serge Garant, François Morel, and Gilles Tremblay in the Dictionary of Contemporary Music. He has taught on the music faculties of the University of Toronto (1964–1966), the University of Montreal (1970–1973), the Paris Conservatoire (1978–1979) and McGill University (1966–2001). His notable pupils include Marc Patch, Peter Allen, John Burke, Paul Crawford, Jacques Desjardins, José Evangelista, Anthony Genge, Richard Hunt, Denis Lorrain, John Oliver, Nicole Rodrigue, François Rose, Ronald Bruce Smith, Donald Steven, and Alexander Tilley.

As a composer Mather employs Wyschnegrasky's principle of non-octavic spaces. Mather's compositions are also strongly influenced by his love of poetry and wine.

Works Stage La princesse blanche (opera), 2 sopranos, baritone, bass, small orchestra (16 players), 1993

Orchestral Concerto, piano, small orchestra, 1958; Elegy, alto saxophone, string orchestra, 1959 (also arranged for alto saxophone, piano); Symphonic Ode, 1964; Orchestral Piece 1967, large orchestra, 1966–67; Ombres, 1967; Music for Vancouver, small orchestra (16-17 players), 1969; Musique pour Rouen, 12 strings, 1971; Musigny, large orchestra (89 players), 1980; Scherzo, small orchestra (18 players), 1987–88; Dialogue pour Trio Basso et Orchestre, viola, cello, double bass, orchestra, 1988; Tallbrem Variations, 5 percussion, orchestra, 1994; Quarts de Chaume, string orchestra, 1998

Chamber music Sonata, violin, piano, 1957; Elegy, alto saxophone, piano, 1959 (arrangement of work for alto saxophone, string orchestra); Étude, clarinet, 1962; Music for Organ, Horn and Gongs, 1973; Mandola, mandolin, piano, 1974; Eine kleine Bläsermusik, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1975; Clos de Vougeot, 4 percussion, 1977; Ausone: Version A, flute, 1979; Version B, flute, 2 harps, 1979; Version C, flute, 2 harps, 2 guitars, 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 celli, 1979; Coulée de serrant, harp, piano, 1980; Sassicaia, clarinet, piano, 1981; Gattinara, viola, percussion, 1982; Elegy, flute (+ alto flute), cello, piano, percussion, 1983; Barbaresco, viola, cello, double bass, 1984; Clos de l'Audignac, marimba, 3 percussion, 1984; Senorio de Sarria, 2 guitars (tuned a quarter-tone apart), 1985; Vouvray, oboe, harp, 1986; Viola Duet, 2 violas, 1987; Vega Sicilia, guitar, ensemble (harp, viola, cello, marimba), 1989; Yquem, 4 pianos, 4 ondes Martenot, 1991; Romance, bassoon, synthesizer, 1992; Standing Wave, clarinet, cello, piano, percussion, 1994; Advanced Harmony, wind ensemble, 1995; Quintette, clarinet, string quartet, 1995; Duo basso, bass flute, bass oboe, 1996; Quatre Études, cimbalom, marimba, 1996; Tempranillo, specially-tuned guitar, 1997; Hoya de Cadenas, alto flute, quarter-tone guitar, 1997; Doisy Daëne, flute, piano, 1997; Quinta da Camarate, specially-tuned guitar, 1998; Violin Duet, 2 violins, 1998; Bourgueil, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 1999; Quintet for Saxophones and Piano, 1999; Sancerre, harp, harpsichord, 1999; Four Études, 6 percussion, 2001 In memoriam Bengt Hambraeus, theorbo, 2001 Trio, violin, cello, piano, 2002 Deux Pièces pour Ondes Martenot et piano en seizièmes de ton, sixteenth-tone piano, Ondes Martenot, 2004 65 Takte für Robert Aitken, 2 flutes, 2004 Music for San Francisco, cello, ensemble (oboe, French horn, specially-tuned harp, violin, viola, piano), 2005 For Amie Watson, vibraphone, tubular bells, 13 cowbells (1 player), 2006

Choral Lament for Pasiphaë, soprano, baritone, small mixed chorus, orchestra, 1962; Counting the Beats, soprano, baritone, small mixed chorus, orchestra, 1962; La lune mince… (text by Paul Valéry), divided mixed chorus, 1965; Two Stanford Songs, mixed chorus, 1988

Vocal Two Songs, bass-baritone, orchestra, 1956; Venice, soprano, clarinet, cello, piano, 1957; Lost Love, soprano, string orchestra, 1958; The Finding of Love, soprano, string orchestra, 1958; Cycle Rilke, tenor, guitar, 1959; The Song of Blodeuwedd, baritone, orchestra (harp, piano, timpani, percussion, strings), 1961; Sick Love, soprano, orchestra, 1961; Orphée (text by Paul Valéry), soprano, piano, percussion, 1963; Madrigal I (text by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau), soprano, alto, flute, harp, mandolin, violin, cello, 1967; Madrigal II (text by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau), soprano, alto, flute, harp, violin, viola, cello, 1968; Madrigal III (text by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau), alto, harp, piano, marimba, 1971; Madrigal V (text by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau), soprano, alto, small orchestra (17 players), 1973, revised 1980; Au château de Pompairain, mezzo-soprano, orchestra, 1976; Musique pour Champigny, soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, B-flat clarinet, French horn, harp, piano, percussion, 1976 (Winner, Jules *Léger Prize for New Chamber Music, 1979); Les grandes fontaines (text by Anne Hébert), soprano, piano, 1981; Un cri qui durerait la mer (text by Marie France Rose), bass-baritone, piano, 1985; Travaux de nuit, baritone, piano, 1990 (also arranged for baritone, orchestra, 1990); Des laines de lumière (text by Gatien Lapointe), bass-baritone, 2 quarter-tone pianos, 1996; La voix d'oiseau, coloratura soprano, piano, 1998; Trois Poèmes de Gatien Lapointe, voice, piano, 1998; Onze Poèmes pour la main gauche, soprano, piano, 2000

Piano Smaragdin, 1960; Like Snow, 1960; Mystras, 1962; Fantasy, 1964; Sonata, 2 pianos, 1969–70; In memoriam Alexander Uninsky, 1974; Régime 11, Type A, 2 pianos (tuned a quarter-tone apart), 1978; Poème du délire, 3 specially-tuned pianos, 1982; Hommage à Carrillo, sixteenth-tone piano, 1996; D'après un cri, 1996; Régime 17, third-tone piano, 1997; Eight Études, sixteenth-tone piano, 2000 In memoriam Gordon Sheppard, sixteenth-tone piano, 2 pianos (tuned a quarter-tone apart), 2006 Hommage à Wyschnegradsky, 2009

Organ Six Études, 1982; Études Nos. 7-8, 1993 Ardennes, 2002 Cinq Pièces faciles, organ 4 hands, 2002

Harpsichord Saumur, quarter-tone harpsichord, 1990

Electroacoustic Madrigal IV (text by Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau), soprano, flute, piano, tape, 1972; Barolo, cello, tape, 1977; Aux victimes de la guerre de Vendée (1793), French horn, 2 pianos, tape, 1990