List of compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies

Peter Maxwell Davies in 2012

Peter Maxwell Davies, an English composer and conductor, wrote music in many genres, notably ten symphonies and works for the stage, from the monodrama Eight Songs for a Mad King (first performed in 1969) to The Hogboon (scheduled to be performed in June 2016).

His official catalogue includes more than 334 works starting with his Op. 1 in 1955, but there are also about fifty earlier works dating back as far as 1942—regarded as juvenilia—and around a hundred minor mature works, designated by "WoO" (Werke ohne Opuszahl = Works without Opus number). These numbers were not assigned by the composer, but rather were first established only in 2010.

He sometimes based his music on Mediaeval and Renaissance motifs and themes such as the opera Taverner, on the composer John Taverner. After his move to Orkney, he often used Orcadian themes, for example in An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise for orchestra with bagpipes. Interested in classical forms, he composed series and cycles of works. The first seven of his ten symphonies form a cycle. He composed several concertos, including a Trumpet Concerto and a series of ten Strathclyde Concertos for different instruments, sometimes in combination. Of his fourteen string quartets, ten form a series, the Naxos Quartets which can be considered a multi-installment "novel."

Table of selected compositions

This incomplete table of compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies lists notable works chronologically, adding when available subtitle or full title, scoring, Opus number (Op.), year of composition, genre, text information, and the link to the details on the official website. The title is sometimes a common title, with a subtitle added in the same column, while other details such as a full title or a description appear in the second column. The scoring is given if it is not obvious from the title, or unexpected, such as the tenth symphony which includes vocal parts. A year of composition follows, according to the website. The year of a first performance may be different. The column "Text" lists texts on which the work is based, or their author(s).

Compositions by Peter Maxwell Davies

Title	Detail	Scoring	Op.	Year	Genre	Text	Reference
Early Morning Echoes		piano solo	WoO 1	1942 (1942)	Solo instrumental		343
Sonata		trumpet and piano	1	1955 (1955)	Chamber		225
Five Pieces for Piano		piano solo	2	1956 (1956)	Solo instrumental		89
Alma Redemptoris Mater		wind sextet: flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn	5	1957 (1957)	Chamber		29
First Taverner Fantasia	First Fantasia on an In Nomine of John Taverner		19	1962 (1962)	Orchestral		82
Second Taverner Fantasia	Second Fantasia on an In Nomine of John Taverner		23	1964 (1964)	Orchestral		208
Five Little Pieces for Piano		piano solo	27	1964 (1964)	Solo instrumental		87
Revelation and Fall	Monodrama	soprano instrumental ensemble	31	1966 (1966)	Vocal		200
St Thomas Wake: Foxtrot for Orchestra on a Pavan by John Bull			37	1966–1969 (1966–1969)	Orchestral
Worldes Blis			38	1966–1969 (1966–1969)	Orchestral
Eight Songs for a Mad King Music theatre work for male voice and instrumental ensemble			39	1969 (1969)	Opera	Randolph Stow, George III	2
Points and Dances from "Taverner" for instrumental ensemble			46	1971 (1971)	Suite
Symphony No. 1			71	1976 (1976)	Symphony		258
The Martyrdom of St Magnus Chamber opera in nine scenes			72	1976 (1976)	Opera	Peter Maxwell Davies	289
Salome Ballet in two acts			80a	1978 (1978)	Ballet	Peter Maxwell Davies	204
The Lighthouse Chamber opera in one act with prologue			86	1979 (1979)	Opera	Peter Maxwell Davies	286
Cinderella Pantomime opera in two acts for young performers			87	1979 (1979)	Opera	Peter Maxwell Davies	59
The Yellow Cake Revue			88	1980 (1980)	Solo instrumental		300
Symphony No. 2			91	1980 (1980)	Symphony		259
Piano Sonata		piano solo	93	1981 (1981)	Solo instrumental		188
Sea Eagle		horn solo	103	1982 (1982)	Solo instrumental		205
Organ Sonata		organ solo	107	1982 (1982)	Solo instrumental		181
Symphony No. 3			119	1984 (1984)	Symphony		260
An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise For orchestra with solo bagpipes			120a	1984 (1984)	Orchestral		31
Violin Concerto No. 1	dedicated to Isaac Stern		123	1985 (1985)	Concerto		61
Strathclyde Concerto No. 1		oboe orchestra	128	1987 (1987)	Concerto		242
Strathclyde Concerto No. 2		cello orchestra	131	1987 (1987)	Concerto		243
Trumpet Concerto			132	1988 (1988)	Concerto		341
Symphony No. 4			136	1989 (1989)	Symphony		261
Strathclyde Concerto No. 3		horn trumpet orchestra	139	1989 (1989)	Concerto		541
Strathclyde Concerto No. 4		clarinet orchestra	143	1990 (1990)	Concerto		245
Caroline Mathilde Ballet in two acts			144a	1990 (1990)	Ballet		54
Strathclyde Concerto No. 5		violin viola strings	151	1990 (1990)	Concerto		246
Strathclyde Concerto No. 6		flute orchestra	152	1991 (1991)	Concerto		247
Strathclyde Concerto No. 7		double bass orchestra	156	1992 (1992)	Concerto		248
Strathclyde Concerto No. 8		bassoon orchestra	159	1993 (1993)	Concerto		249
Symphony No. 5			166	1994 (1994)	Symphony		262
Strathclyde Concerto No. 9		piccolo alto flute cor anglais E♭ clarinet bass clarinet contrabassoon strings	170	1994 (1994)	Concerto		250
Symphony No. 6			176	1996 (1996)	Symphony		263
Strathclyde Concerto No. 10		orchestra	179	1996 (1996)	Concerto		251
Piccolo Concerto			182	1996 (1996)	Concerto		189
The Doctor of Myddfai Music theatre work for soprano, baritone, bass and instrumental ensemble			175	1995 (1995)	Opera	David Pountney	276
Mr Emmet Takes a Walk Music theatre work for soprano, baritone, bass and instrumental ensemble			207	1999 (1999)	Chamber opera	David Pountney	143
Symphony No. 7			211	2000 (2000)	Symphony		264
Symphony No. 8 Antarctic			215	2000 (2000)	Symphony		339
Naxos Quartet No. 1		string quartet	229	2002 (2002)	Chamber		164
Naxos Quartet No. 2		string quartet	234	2003 (2003)	Chamber		165
Naxos Quartet No. 3		string quartet	236	2003 (2003)	Chamber		166
Naxos Quartet No. 4 Children's Games		string quartet	245	2004 (2004)	Chamber		167
Naxos Quartet No. 5 Lighthouses of Orkney and Shetland		string quartet	253	2004 (2004)	Chamber		168
Naxos Quartet No. 6		string quartet	257	2005 (2005)	Chamber		169
Naxos Quartet No. 7 Metafore sul Borromini		string quartet	265	2005 (2005)	Chamber		170
Naxos Quartet No. 8		string quartet	268	2003 (2003)	Chamber		171
Naxos Quartet No. 9		string quartet	275	2005 (2005)	Chamber		172
Naxos Quartet No. 10		string quartet	283	2007 (2007)	Chamber		327
Piano Quartet		piano, violin, viola, cello	288	2007 (2007)	Chamber		321
Kommilitonen!	Young Blood!		306	2011 (2011)	Opera	David Pountney	549
Symphony No. 9			315	2012 (2012)	Symphony		560
Symphony No. 10 "Alla ricerca di Borromini"		baritone choir orchestra	327	2013 (2013)	Symphony	anonymous, Francesco Borromini, Giacomo Leopardi	572
The Hogboon		soloists children's choirs adult SATB choir orchestra	336	2015 (2015)	Dramatic work		582

External links

• A biography on IRCAM's website (French)