Elliott Carter

[maestro267]

The American composer Elliott Carter clocks up yet another year on Saturday, when he turns 102. Quite a remarkable achievement to still keep going at that age; he is still an active composer to this day.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Yes he is truly remarkable and still as sprightly as ever. I can only think of one other composer, Leo Ornstein who was still composing at that age. Ornstein was 108 when he died in 2002, though it is possible, because of birth registration in Russia, that he could have been slightly older still! Going back to Carter, it is surprising that following his 100th birthday year in 2008, R3 has only paid scant attention to him, especially as for many so many years his music has featured fairly regularly.

[Mark Sealey]

OTOH (and I seem to remember us all discussing this in another place and age) it's quite remarkable how many composers had a longer lifespan than their non-composing (but not necessarily from a different class) opposite numbers.

[Colonel Danby]

Happy Birthday, Mr Carter! I'm celebrating by playing his Holiday Overture, the 1st Symphony and the Piano Concerto, but as I have quite a few CDs of his music in my collection, I dare say that the Violin Concerto and the Concerto for Orchestra will get an airing later on.

A truly great American composer.

[ahinton]

Yes he is truly remarkable and still as sprightly as ever. I can only think of one other composer, Leo Ornstein who was still composing at that age. Ornstein was 108 when he died in 2002, though it is possible, because of birth registration in Russia, that he could have been slightly older still! Going back to Carter, it is surprising that following his 100th birthday year in 2008, R3 has only paid scant attention to him, especially as for many so many years his music has featured fairly regularly.

Actually, Ornstein was not composing at the age that Elliott Carter is now; his final work, the Eighth Piano Sonata, was completed in 1990 when he was aged 97. AS far as I am aware, no composer in history has continued to compose after his centenary as Carter has and is still doing.

As I wrote elsewhere:

"He has so often been mis-spelled "Elliot", so there might be some irony in his having recently completed a T S Eliot setting (I don't have the details as to what text/s) and I'm told that he plans next year to write a concertino for piano and orchestra for his young up-and-coming friend Barenboim's 70th birthday in 2012. What he might do after that I have no idea, but still there seems to be no sixth quartet on the horizon. Not to worry - he hopefully has plenty of time to think about that.

I wouldn't want too much to be made of the fact that he appears to be the only composer ever to have continued working after his centenary, for so much of music is fascinating and that is what really matters, but it does nevertheless seem somewhat extraordinary to think that he's almost 5 years Britten's senior..."

The only other composers that immediately spring to mind who lived into their 90s (and in one case past his centenary) also ceased composing during (or in one case well before) their 90s - I am thinking in particular of Sibelius, Sorabji, Brian, Rodrigo and le Flem. Dutilleux (95 next month) may yet write more but has sadly never written much.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I had read that Ornstein completed his last work in 1997, which would have made him 105 and apparently there were a some unfinished works too. I believe Virgil Thomson composed into his early 90's, Carl Ruggles lived into his 90's but wrote so little music in his long life it can be fitted on one CD. Robert E Ward is 93 and still composing.

[ahinton]

I had read that Ornstein completed his last work in 1997, which would have made him 105 and apparently there were a some unfinished works too. I believe Virgil Thomson composed into his early 90's, Carl Ruggles lived into his 90's but wrote so little music in his long life it can be fitted on one CD. Robert E Ward is 93 and still composing.

Ornstein's last work is supposed to have been his Eighth Piano Sonata and even this was apparently written down for him. What do you know of his work that he is supposed to have written in the 8 or so years since then? Nothing seems to be available from this period.

I'm unaware that Thomson composed anything after his 90th birthday apart from Wiley Hitchcock: Two Birds, although quite a few of his ongoing series of portraits, mainly for piano, date from not long before that time.

Nio - it sems still to be an odds-on certainty that the remarkable Elliott Carter is the only composer ever to continue to reinvent himself at the point of entering his 103rd year...

[Boilk]

OTOH ...it's quite remarkable how many composers had a longer lifespan than their non-composing (but not necessarily from a different class) opposite numbers.

Actually, I think it would be remarkable if it were the other way around! Compensating for all environmental, lifestyle and genetic variables, creativity should probably be something of a longevity enhancer, as it is a de-stressing pursuit. For tormented individuals it is a means of channeling out grief, anger and hatred. For non-creative individuals, these negative emotions are more likely to remian bottled up, and so convert to a sick body in the long-run. I suspect it's the same in the other creative arts.

By the way some "opposite numbers" live to a ripe old age, happy in the pursuit of promoting their husbands' music. One such case was Elsa Respighi who died as recently as 1996, just one week short of her 102nd birthday.

[ahinton]

Actually, I think it would be remarkable if it were the other way around! Compensating for all environmental, lifestyle and genetic variables, creativity should probably be something of a longevity enhancer, as it is a de-stressing pursuit. For tormented individuals it is a means of channeling out grief, anger and hatred. For non-creative individuals, these negative emotions are more likely to remian bottled up, and so convert to a sick body in the long-run. I suspect it's the same in the other creative arts.

By the way some "opposite numbers" live to a ripe old age, happy in the pursuit of promoting their husbands' music. One such case was Elsa Respighi who died as recently as 1996, just one week short of her 102nd birthday.

Arthur Bliss's widow was another; she died a while ago, aged 105.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I've been searching for the source that gave the extra information on Ornstein. I encountered it about 5 years ago when I was in Manchester when I was looking into long-lived composers I'm pretty sure it was on the web but currently unable to locate it. Virgil Thomson was 91 when he wrote his last work. Robert Ward still appears to be in good health though he doesn't appear to have completed anything in the last 12 months. I forgot about Menotti who lived to be 95 but didn't produce anything in his last 15 years or so. There's something about an Irish harpist and composer who lived from about 1698 to about 1802, remarkable for that time, but can't recall his name. I wouldn't say Carter has reinvented himself the works of the last 10 years or so, they are very consistent in standard but don't seem to mark any development or new departure aprt from being highly compressed which isn't surprising, just being able to compose past your 100th year is remarkable enough!

[Bryn]

... Carl Ruggles lived into his 90's but wrote so little music in his long life it can be fitted on one CD ...

Not quite, though very nearly. Indeed, the old Sony/CBS survey of his published musical output was finally released on 2 CDs last year by Other Minds, under licence from Sony:

http://webstore.otherminds.org/products/om1020

Also available via the amazon.co.uk marketplace for a little less.

New World offer another CD of Ruggles rarities, including some unpublished stuff:

[Beef Oven]

Ryan Giggs is 87 and still playing.

[Beef Oven]

Didn't Havergal Brian live to a ripe old age?

[teamsaint]

Didn't Havergal Brian live to a ripe old age?

That is a myth.
just a child prodigy.
Like Norman Whiteside, finished by 23.

[Beef Oven]

That is a myth.
just a child prodigy.
Like Norman Whiteside, finished by 23.

That's gone over my head