Sorabji, Kaikhosru Shapurji 1892 - 1988
Author: Saitoh, Noriko
Last updated：December 1, 2008
Author: Saitoh, Noriko
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Born to a Parsi father from India and a Spanish-Sicilian mother, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji spent most of his life in England. He was largely self-taught, having received only basic musical education in counterpoint and harmony. Sorabji was remarkably indifferent to promoting his own works, even going so far as to forbid their performance. Some of his works remained in manuscript form without being published, and despite receiving praise from renowned musicians, they rarely gained widespread public exposure. For many years, Sorabji's works could only be known through private recordings, but in his later years, he permitted only Michael Habermann and Yonty Solomon to perform them. Furthermore, the University of Illinois undertook a project to perform and record Sorabji's difficult works using computers.
Works
His works were influenced by both Western and Eastern traditions. Starting from an impressionistic influence, he developed his own unique style and created large-scale works that could constitute an entire program. Examples include a work for clavicembalo lasting nearly three hours and the 1000-page Symphony "Jami". There are also piano works that use as few as three staves and as many as seven staves.
As a Performer
Sorabji possessed excellent pianistic skill and gave concerts in London, Paris, Vienna, Glasgow, and Bombay. However, Sorabji himself began to feel resistance towards public performance, gradually withdrawing from the concert stage.
As a Critic
He also contributed music criticism to Musical Times, New Age, and New English Weekly with a witty and even scathing pen. He is credited with introducing composers who were then less well-known, such as Szymanowski, Alkan, and Mahler.
Works(76)
Concerto (2)
concerto (8)
Works with orchestral accompaniment (3)
Piano Solo (13)
sonata (6)
rhapsody (2)
pieces (2)
toccata (5)
fantasy (4)
Fantasiettina sul nome illustre dell’egregio poeta Christopher Grieve ossia Hugh M’Diarmid KSS83
Composed in: 1961 Playing time: 2 min 30 sec
variation (2)
Variazione Maliziosa e Perversa sopra La Morte d'Åse da Grieg KSS93
Composed in: 1974 Playing time: 1 min 00 sec
fuga (2)
Chromatic Fantasia (J. S. Bach, transcription with another Bach fugue) KSS61
Composed in: 1940 Playing time: 16 min 00 sec
Reduction/Arrangement (3)
3 Pastiches after Chopin, Bizet and Rimsky-Korsakov KSS31
Composed in: 1922 Playing time: 12 min 30 sec
Various works (33)
St. Bertrand de Comminges (He was laughing in the tower)
Composed in: 1941 Playing time: 20 min 30 sec
Chamber Music (1)
Chamber music (2)