Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1891

Death

:

1971

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Craig Sellar Lang was a Scottish composer and pianist who lived from 1891 to 1971. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 2, 1891, to a family of musicians. His father, David Lang, was a well-known organist and composer, and his mother, Mary Sellar, was a pianist and singer. Craig Sellar Lang showed an early interest in music and began taking piano lessons at the age of six. Lang's musical education began at the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied piano with Tobias Matthay and composition with Charles Villiers Stanford. He later studied with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Lang's early compositions were influenced by the Romantic tradition, but he later developed a more modernist style. Lang's first major work was his Piano Concerto No. 1, which he composed in 1915. The concerto was well-received and established Lang as a promising young composer. He went on to compose several other works for piano and orchestra, including his Piano Concerto No. 2, which he composed in 1921. In addition to his work as a composer, Lang was also a highly regarded pianist. He gave numerous recitals throughout Europe and the United States, and he was known for his virtuosic performances of works by Chopin, Liszt, and other Romantic composers. Lang's most famous work is his Symphony No. 1, which he composed in 1928. The symphony is a large-scale work that reflects Lang's modernist style and his interest in the music of Stravinsky and Bartok. The symphony was premiered in Glasgow in 1929 and was well-received by audiences and critics alike. Lang continued to compose throughout his life, but his output slowed down in the 1940s and 1950s. He became increasingly interested in teaching and spent many years as a professor of composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. He also served as the director of the Edinburgh Festival from 1955 to 1960. Lang's later works include his String Quartet No. 2, which he composed in 1952, and his Piano Sonata No. 3, which he composed in 1960. These works reflect Lang's continued interest in modernist techniques and his willingness to experiment with new forms and structures. Craig Sellar Lang died on December 20, 1971, in Glasgow, Scotland. He left behind a legacy as one of Scotland's most important composers of the 20th century. His works continue to be performed and recorded by musicians around the world, and his influence can be heard in the music of many contemporary composers.

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