Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Australia

Birth

:

August 24, 1932 in Sydney, Australia

Death

:

November 23, 2009 in Sydney, Australia

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Richard Meale was an Australian composer who was born on August 8, 1932, in Sydney, Australia. He was the son of a pharmacist and a pianist, and he grew up in a musical family. Meale began playing the piano at a young age and showed an early interest in music. He attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he studied composition with Raymond Hanson and piano with Alexander Sverjensky. Meale's early works were influenced by the European avant-garde, particularly the music of Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He was also interested in the music of the Indonesian gamelan, which he encountered during a trip to Bali in 1954. Meale's interest in gamelan music would become a major influence on his later works. In the 1960s, Meale became associated with the "New Music" movement in Australia, which sought to promote contemporary classical music in the country. He was a founding member of the Australian Society for Contemporary Music and was involved in organizing concerts and festivals of new music. Meale's breakthrough work was his String Quartet No. 1, which was premiered in 1963. The piece was notable for its use of extended techniques, such as playing behind the bridge and using the bow to create percussive effects. The quartet was well-received and established Meale as a leading figure in Australian contemporary music. Meale's next major work was his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered in 1966. The symphony was inspired by the landscape and culture of Australia and incorporated elements of Aboriginal music. The work was praised for its originality and became one of Meale's most popular pieces. In the 1970s, Meale continued to explore the intersection of Western and non-Western music. He traveled to Indonesia and studied gamelan music, which he incorporated into his compositions. His works from this period, such as the flute concerto Viridian and the piano concerto Very High Kings, were characterized by their use of exotic scales and rhythms. Meale's most famous work is his opera Voss, which was premiered in 1986. The opera is based on the novel of the same name by Patrick White and tells the story of the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who disappeared in the Australian outback in the 1840s. The opera was a critical and commercial success and won numerous awards, including the prestigious Prix Italia. Meale continued to compose throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, although his output slowed down due to health problems. His later works, such as the String Quartet No. 2 and the Symphony No. 2, were more introspective and reflective than his earlier pieces. Richard Meale died on November 23, 2009, at the age of 77. He was widely regarded as one of Australia's greatest composers and a pioneer of contemporary classical music in the country. His works continue to be performed and recorded by orchestras and ensembles around the world.

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