John Rea (composer)


John Rea is a Montreal-based composer who won the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music in both 1981 and 1992. He obtained his bachelor's degree at Wayne State University, his Master of Music degree at the University of Toronto, and his PhD at Princeton University. His children's opera The Prisoners Play from 1972 uses serial techniques. His works have been played by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Nouvelle Ensemble Moderne, the Arditti Quartet, the Esprit Orchestra and others. He is the previous dean and head of the composition department at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, where he continues to teach composition. Among his notable students are composers Robin Minard and John Oliver.

Music

Stage:
The Days/Les Jours, ballet. 1969. Ms
The Prisoners Play, opera. 1973. Ms
Com-possession 'Daemonic afterimages in the theatre of transitory states.' 1980. 2 chamber ensemble. Ms. McGill University Records 83019
Une Fleur du mal. 1992. Sop, clarinet, violoncello and percussion
Canto di Beatrice. 1992. For two sop and two violoncelli, melodrama
Alma & Oskar. 1995. Voice and piano, National Competition for Young Performers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; version for two voices and orchestra, 1996
Urfaust—tragédie subjective. 1999. Incidental music, Théâtre UBU
Sacrée Landowska. 2001. Music theatre
Orchestra:
Piece for Chamber Orchestra. Ms
Hommage à Vasarely. 1977. Ms. RCI 658/McGill University Records 81013
Vanishing Points. 1983. Ms
Litaneia. 1984. Mixed chorus, orch. Ms
Over Time. 1987. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-CD-3188
Time and Again. 1987. Ms
Zefiro torna. 1994
Einer nach dem Andern!. 1994. Chamber orchestra
Homme/Papillon. 2002
Chamber:
Sonatina. 1965. Fl, piano. Ms
Prologue, Scene and Movement. 1968. Sop, viola, 2 piano. Ms
Sestina. 1968. Chamb ensemble. Ms
Fantaisies and/et Allusions. 1969. Saxophone quartet, snare drum. Ms
Anaphora. 1970. Chamb ensemble. Ms
Reception and Offering Music 'Anaphora IV.' 1975. Ww quintet, percussion. Ms. Mel SMLP-4040
Jeux de Scène 'fantaisie-hommage à Richard Wagner.' 1976. Hn, oboe, violoncello, piccolo, fl, piano, mar, 3 glockenspiel, blacksmith's anvil. Ms
Les Blues d'Orphée. 1981. Fl, clarinet, viola, violoncello, piano. Ms
Le Dernière Sirène. 1981. Ondes M, piano, percussion. Ms
Médiator '...pincer la musique aujourd'hui..'. 1981. Chamb ensemble. Ms. RCI 570
Treppenmusik. 1982. Saxophone quartet, 4 clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, double-bass, tape. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-2085
Glide Reflexions. 1984. 2 clarinet, 2 violoncello. Ms
Les Raisons des Forces Mouvantes. 1984. Fl, alto fl, string quartet. Ms
Spin. 1984. Str quartet, piano. Ms
Some Time Later. 1986. RAAD string quartet. Ms
Big Apple Jam. 1987-91. Saxophone quartet, tape. Ms
Kubla Khan. 1989. Chamb ensemble. Ms.. University of Montreal UNMUS-105
Objets Perdus. 1992. String quartet
Piano:
What You Will. 1969. 2 or 4 hands. Jay 1971
Anaphora II. 1971. Ms
Las Meninas. 1990-1. Ms
Also Le Petit Livre des 'Ravalet' for early music instr, tape, and 4 narrator, and Offenes Lied for 2 soprano and clarinet, both manuscript; and 2 works for tape, S.P.I. 51 and STER 1.3, recorded on Marathon MS-2211