Kenneth Leighton was born in Wakefield in 1929. His musical life began as a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral (raised up in 1888). He attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and then in 1946 obtained the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) in piano performance. Subsequently he studied classics and music at Queen's College, Oxford.
His distinctive style emerged and was consolidated rapidly between 1950 and 1955, and probably owes much to a period of study with Petrassi in Italy and his familiarity with the work of a wide range of twentieth-century European composers. He maintained a lifelong passion for the music of Bach (compare his Fantasia Contrappuntistica opus 24 for piano, 1956). A few pieces reflect experimentation or flirtation with serialism, although Leighton's works are more generally typified by a strong sense of lyricism, diatonicism, contrapuntal mastery, chromaticism and rhythmic invention.
His music has a compelling balance of intellectual rigour and romanticism, manifest in his highly lyrical melodic idiom, dynamic rhythms, colourful orchestration and virtuoso solo writing. These qualities are exemplified in the highly acclaimed concertos and the solo works for piano and organ. His early serialism, as evinced in the Variations (1955) for piano, owes more to Berg and Dallapiccola than to Schönberg, showing a concern with thematic transformation within a tonally orientated chromaticism; his later works display a mellower diatonicism, especially the choral works. Also distinctive are his exploitation of fourths and seconds, his predilection for fizzing toccata-like textures and resonant sonorities, and his intricate, often fugal use of counterpoint.
Alongside a large number of sacred works his concern with religious symbolism is shown by his frequent use of plainsong, chorales and chants as thematic resources. In the late works, for example the Third Symphony, a magisterial setting of poems in praise of music for tenor and orchestra, and the equally ravishing solo cantata Earth, Sweet Earth, there is an added visionary energy and opulence, with sonorities reminiscent of Messaien.
His best things listed:
"Columba", opera in 3 acts, opus 77, 1978
Symphony for strings, opus 3, 1949
Symphony no. 1, opus 42, 1964
Symphony no. 2, "Sinfonia mistica", opus 69, 1974
Symphony no. 3, "Laudes Musicæ", opus 90, 1984
Passacaglia, Chorale and Fugue for orchestra, opus 18, 1957
Piano concerto no. 1 in D minor, opus 11, 1951
Piano concerto no. 2, opus 37, 1960
Piano concerto no. 3, opus 57, 1969
Violin Concerto, opus 12, 1952
Concerto for Viola, Harp, Timpani and strings, opus 15, 1952
Oboe concerto opus 23, 1953
Concerto for Two Pianos, Timpani and orchestra, opus 26, 1955
Cello concerto, opus 31, 1956
Organ concerto, with timpani and strings, opus 58, 1970
Flute concerto, with harpsichord and strings, opus 88, 1982
String quartet no. 1, opus 32, 1956
String quartet no. 2, opus 33, 1957
Piano quintet, opus 34, 1959
Piano quartet, opus 63, 1972
"Fantasia contrappuntistica" for piano, opus 24, 1956
Variations for piano, opus 30, 1955
His distinctive style emerged and was consolidated rapidly between 1950 and 1955, and probably owes much to a period of study with Petrassi in Italy and his familiarity with the work of a wide range of twentieth-century European composers. He maintained a lifelong passion for the music of Bach (compare his Fantasia Contrappuntistica opus 24 for piano, 1956). A few pieces reflect experimentation or flirtation with serialism, although Leighton's works are more generally typified by a strong sense of lyricism, diatonicism, contrapuntal mastery, chromaticism and rhythmic invention.
His music has a compelling balance of intellectual rigour and romanticism, manifest in his highly lyrical melodic idiom, dynamic rhythms, colourful orchestration and virtuoso solo writing. These qualities are exemplified in the highly acclaimed concertos and the solo works for piano and organ. His early serialism, as evinced in the Variations (1955) for piano, owes more to Berg and Dallapiccola than to Schönberg, showing a concern with thematic transformation within a tonally orientated chromaticism; his later works display a mellower diatonicism, especially the choral works. Also distinctive are his exploitation of fourths and seconds, his predilection for fizzing toccata-like textures and resonant sonorities, and his intricate, often fugal use of counterpoint.
Alongside a large number of sacred works his concern with religious symbolism is shown by his frequent use of plainsong, chorales and chants as thematic resources. In the late works, for example the Third Symphony, a magisterial setting of poems in praise of music for tenor and orchestra, and the equally ravishing solo cantata Earth, Sweet Earth, there is an added visionary energy and opulence, with sonorities reminiscent of Messaien.
His best things listed:
"Columba", opera in 3 acts, opus 77, 1978
Symphony for strings, opus 3, 1949
Symphony no. 1, opus 42, 1964
Symphony no. 2, "Sinfonia mistica", opus 69, 1974
Symphony no. 3, "Laudes Musicæ", opus 90, 1984
Passacaglia, Chorale and Fugue for orchestra, opus 18, 1957
Piano concerto no. 1 in D minor, opus 11, 1951
Piano concerto no. 2, opus 37, 1960
Piano concerto no. 3, opus 57, 1969
Violin Concerto, opus 12, 1952
Concerto for Viola, Harp, Timpani and strings, opus 15, 1952
Oboe concerto opus 23, 1953
Concerto for Two Pianos, Timpani and orchestra, opus 26, 1955
Cello concerto, opus 31, 1956
Organ concerto, with timpani and strings, opus 58, 1970
Flute concerto, with harpsichord and strings, opus 88, 1982
String quartet no. 1, opus 32, 1956
String quartet no. 2, opus 33, 1957
Piano quintet, opus 34, 1959
Piano quartet, opus 63, 1972
"Fantasia contrappuntistica" for piano, opus 24, 1956
Variations for piano, opus 30, 1955
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