Gerald Barry (composer) facts for kids
Gerald Barry (born on April 28, 1952) is a famous Irish composer. He writes many different kinds of music, especially operas.
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Life and Music
Gerald Barry was born in Clarehill, Clarecastle, County Clare, in Ireland. He went to school at St. Flannan's College in Ennis. Later, he studied music at University College Dublin.
He also learned from famous composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen and Mauricio Kagel in Germany. From 1982 to 1986, Barry taught music at University College Cork.
When he was young, living in the countryside, he mostly heard music on the radio. He once heard a song from a Handel opera called Xerxes. This moment really inspired him and made him want to create music.
Gerald Barry's music is known for being very unique. It has sharp edges and can be unpredictable. His pieces often sound like no one else's. They can be hard, funny, and sometimes even powerful.
He often reuses musical ideas in different ways. For example, he took a piece called Triorchic Blues and changed it from a violin piece to a piano piece. Then, he even made it into a song for a singer in his TV opera The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit.
One of his most successful operas is The Importance of Being Earnest. It first opened in Los Angeles and then in London. Critics have praised it a lot.
This opera won the Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for Large Scale Composition in 2013. This award is a big honor for composers.
In 2022, the Berlin Philharmonic asked Barry to write a new piece. It was a double bass concerto based on his opera The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. It was performed in Berlin in June 2022.
Also in September 2022, the Berlin Philharmonic played another of Barry's orchestral pieces, Chevaux de frise. In 2023, his piece Kafka’s Earplugs was performed at the BBC Proms festival.
Main Operas
Gerald Barry has written several important operas. Here are some of them:
The Intelligence Park (1981–88)
This opera was first performed in 1990 in London. It was also shown at the Royal Opera House in 2019. The story was written by Vincent Deane.
The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit (1991–92)
This opera was made for Channel 4 Television. It was later staged at the Aldeburgh Festival in 2002. It also toured to other cities like New York and Paris.
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (2001-04)
This opera is based on a text by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was first performed in 2005 at English National Opera. Part of this opera was also used for Barry's Piano Concerto.
La Plus Forte (2007)
This is a one-woman opera based on a text by Strindberg. It was first performed in Paris in 2007. The famous singer Barbara Hannigan performed it with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
The Importance of Being Earnest (2010)
This opera is based on the famous play by Oscar Wilde. Gerald Barry wrote the story for the opera himself. It was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Barbican Centre.
After being performed in concerts, it was staged in many places. These included Nancy, Belfast, Dublin, and New York. The recording of this opera was even nominated for a Grammy Award.
Alice's Adventures Under Ground (2014/15)
This opera is based on the classic story by Lewis Carroll. Gerald Barry also wrote the story for this opera. It was performed in Los Angeles, London, and Dublin.
The first full staging was at the Royal Opera House in 2020. This performance was filmed and released for people to watch at home.
Salome (2017)
This opera is based on Oscar Wilde's text. It was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other groups. It is planned to be performed in Los Angeles in 2026. The world premiere was staged in Magdeburg in 2025.
Other Works
Besides operas, Gerald Barry has written many other pieces. These include music for orchestras, choirs, and solo instruments. Here are a few examples:
- Things that Gain by Being Painted (1977)
- Chevaux-de-frise for orchestra (1988)
- Triorchic Blues for piano (1991)
- The Conquest of Ireland for solo bass voice and orchestra (1995)
- The Eternal Recurrence for soprano and orchestra (1999)
- Piano Concerto (2012)
- Viola Concerto (2019)
Recordings
You can find Gerald Barry's music on many recordings. These recordings let you listen to his operas and other pieces. Some of his recorded works include:
- Gerald Barry: Chamber and Solo Piano Works (1994)
- The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit (1998)
- The Importance of Being Earnest (2014)
- Piano Concerto / Beethoven, for Bass and Ensemble (2020)
- Viola Concerto / The Conquest of Ireland (2022)
