(b. 15 January 1966, Birmingham, West Midlands).
British composer of mostly chamber, vocal and piano works that have been performed throughout Europe and in the Middle East; he is also active as a pianist.
Mr. Lesser studied composition with Philip Cannon at the Royal College of Music in London in 1985–86, where he also studied recorder with Ross Winter from 1985–90 and piano with Robert Sutherland from 1985–95. He then studied composition with Margaret Lucy Wilkins at the University of Huddersfield from 1991–93, where he earned his MA. He also studied composition privately with Simon Bainbridge from 1986–88, Michael Finnissy in 1993 and James Dillon in 1994 and recorder privately with Paul Clark from 1982–85 and Alan Davis from 1989–91.
As a pianist, his specialty is contemporary music and he often works with his wife, the coloratura soprano Clare Lesser.
He is also active in other positions. He sang as a chorister and later as head chorister at St. Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham from 1978–82. He served as ensemble director in the première in the UK of Sternklang by Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1992 and later served as joint regional coordinator for the organisation Contemporary Music for All.
He taught as a tutor at the arts centre mac in Birmingham from 1986–93 and as a lecturer at the University of Warwick in Coventry from 1993–99, where he was a part-time tutor from 1994–2005, a senior teaching fellow from 2000–05 and Open Studies Certificate Coordinator from 2005–07. He also taught piano and recorder for the Lyndon Humanities College in Solihull, the Lyndon Music Centre in Solihull and the Solihull Music Service from 1993–2007. He later lectured at the American University in Dubai and the American University of Sharjah.
He lived in the United Arab Emirates from 2007–22.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Wavedark, recorders, 1985
Darkening Images, 1990
Element 1, large orchestra, 1993
Die Entstellungen des Geistes, 2 small orchestras (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, B-flat trumpet, trombone, harp, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass; flute, English horn, bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, B-flat trumpet, trombone, harp, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass), 2013
A Geometry of Stones, small orchestra (flute [+ piccolo], oboe [+ English horn], clarinet, bass clarinet [+ contrabass clarinet], bassoon [+ contrabassoon], 2 French horns, trumpet, harp, timpani, 8 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, double bass), 2017
The Cities Still Burn and the Ash Still Falls!, small orchestra (flute [+ piccolo], oboe, clarinet [+ E-flat clarinet], bass clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, harp, piano, marimba, 2 percussion, 3 violins, viola, double bass), 2021
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Te lucis ante terminum, bass recorder, piano, 1984
Three Pieces, oboe, piano, 1984
Passion Tropes, oboe, 1984, revised 2000
Scape, cello, 1985
Dreams of the Lost Land, violin, ensemble, fixed media, 1986
The Dawn of Dreams, viola, 1987
Words in the Dark, alto recorder, 1988
Gloria tibi trinitas, recorders, 1988
Ghosts, cello, 1988
Pages Condamnés, alto recorder, piano, 1989
Spells and Incantations, oboe, piano, 1991
Five Fantasias from 'Haiku', flute (+ alto flute), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), harp, violin, viola, cello, marimba, 1992 (shorter version of Haiku)
Liber Hymnorum I, cello, 1993 (shorter version of Hymns and Fragments)
Orkney Aphorisms, A-clarinet obbligato, ensemble (flute, violin, viola, cello), 1993
Liber Hymnorum II, cello, 1994
Snare, flute, piano, 1994
Gestures of Loss, recorders, 1994
Charlie's Farewell, clarinet, 1995
Remembrances of Nothing, flute, alto flute/fixed media, 1996
Elegies II, string quartet, 1996
Deus miserere – Si ascenderò, alto recorder, 1997
Sorge (two studies), violin, viola, cello, 1998
Elegies III, flute (+ alto flute, stones), A-clarinet (+ stones), bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion, 1998
Call, French horn, 1998
Rain and Stone (In Memoriam – Ted Hughes 1930 – 1998), bass flute, harp, viola, percussion, 1998
Beginning, cello, 1998 (also version for viola, 1998)
Discourses Inscribed in Air, soprano recorder (+ alto recorder), alto recorder (+ tenor recorder), tenor recorder (+ bass recorder), 2000
Mobile, B-flat trumpet, 2000
'...für einen Augenblick die Tanzfigur...', tenor recorder, 2001
Shroud Tracing, 3 alto recorders (all + stones), 2002
Briefe an..., amplified bass recorder (+ amplified bass recorder headjoint&ndasg;body), live electronics, 2003
Advent, piccolo, B-flat flügelhorn, 2003
Andachtsbild I, bass clarinet, trombone, harp, viola, double bass, piano, percussion, 2004
Andachtsbild II, 2 flutes (both + piccolo), E-flat clarinet, clarinet, alto trombone, trombone, bass trombone, harp, viola, double bass, piano, percussion, 2004
Two Inscriptions, clarinet, piano, 2008
Geschrieben an der Wand, alto recorder, oboe, bassoon, guitar, cello, percussion, 2008
Regenlieder, A-clarinet, viola, 2008
Altri lagrima lontanza, flute obbligato, ensemble (piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, accordion), 2009
Kerzen (five small pieces), viola, piano, 2008–10
Losing You, alto flute, oboe d'amore, double bass, 2010
Interrogating Darkness, alto recorder/clarinet, violin, cello, fixed media, 2010
Con sangue I, bass saxophone, vibraphone, 2011
Scar (Ein Andachtsbild), French horn, cimbalom, double bass, percussion, 2008–12
Shards, alto flute (+ piccolo, bass flute), bass clarinet, French horn, harp, cimbalom, 2 violins, viola, cello, 2012
Hirten und weiße Sterne (players also speak a text by Georg Trakl), 2 amplified headjoints of a bass recorder, 2012
La Vestige II, any wind instrument/any brass instrument, 2012
Mit Asche schattigen (two movements), 2013–15 (each of its two movements may be performed separately: 1, alto flute, double bass, celesta; 2, flute, A-clarinet, harp, double bass, piano, vibraphone)
Tre piccolo canti, trumpet, 2015
'...und Farblos...' – 9 musikalischen Objekten zum Einsetzen in eine Klanglandschaft, cello, fixed media, 2015 (may be performed consecutively with 'Grau...')
'...et fait l'abîme fleurant...', clarinet, 2015 (version of vocal work)
Erste Trakl-Musik, oboe d'amore, bass clarinet, French horn, harp, vibraphone, 2016
Zweite Trakl-Musik, bass flute, 2016
After Virgil, bass recorder, 2016 (shorter version of Virgil Settings)
Übersetzung – vierte Trakl-Musik, bass clarinet, 2018
Murnau – A, flute, cello, vibraphone, 2019 (may be performed in any sequence with Murnau – B)
Murnau – B, flute, cello, vibraphone, 2019 (may be performed in any sequence with Murnau – A)
Cantilena, clarinet, French horn, 2019 (section of Madrigals; may be performed separately)
Pastorale, oboe, harpsichord, 2019 (section of Madrigals; may be performed separately)
Empty Monologues (study), string quartet, 2020
Frost (seven movements), flute, oboe, bass clarinet, French horn, harp, violin, cello, celesta, vibraphone, 2020
Grau – wieder, flute, bass clarinet, violin, 2020
Coda (a landscape), bass clarinet, harp, cello, 2020
Coda – ii, 2 trios (2 violas, double bass; bass clarinet, cello, piano), 2020
Coda – iii, flute, piano, 2020
Abendland – Waste Land, violin, viola, cello, 2021
Scena da Dante, flute, English horn, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, trombone, 2 percussion, violin, viola, cello, double bass, 2021
Extrahieren einer Klage, flute, A-clarinet, 2021
Weiter Übersetzungen, bass clarinet, ensemble (French horn, B-flat trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, vibraphone, percussion, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, 2023
Slate and Dove, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), trombone (+ alto trombone), viola, 2023
Cartouche/Jasmin, contrabass clarinet, piano, marimba, percussion, violin (+ small Indian bells, high suspended cymbal), cello (+ low suspended cymbal), double bass (+ small Indian bells), 2024
CHORAL:
Anthem for an Anniversary (text by Kathleen Norcross), 4 mixed voices, organ, 1997
There is no rose (anthem), 4 mixed voices, 1999
VOCAL:
Kyrie, soprano, cello, 1988
Haiku (text by Matsuo Bashō [translated by Lucien Stryk]), soprano, oboe obbligato, ensemble (flute [+ alto flute], clarinet [+ bass clarinet], harp, violin, viola, cello, marimba), 1992 (also shorter versions as Eight Haiku, soprano, oboe, 1992; Five Fantasias from 'Haiku', flute [+ alto flute], clarinet [+ bass clarinet], harp, violin, viola, cello, marimba)
Hymns and Fragments (text from an anonymous source in Anglo-Saxon [translated by the composer]), soprano, cello, 1993 (also shorter version as Liber Hymnorum I, cello)
Tränen... (text by Andreas Gryphius), high soprano, alto recorder, harpsichord, percussion, 1994
Virgil Settings (text by Virgil), female voice, 1995 (also shorter version as After Virgil, bass recorder)
Zwei Gedichte (text by Nikolaus Lenau), high voice, piano, 1995
artemisia...lake waves...Artemis (ritual, text by Ezra Pound), 2 sopranos, vibraphone, 1997
O ignis spiritus (trope, text by St. Hildegard of Bingen, adapted by Clare Lesser), female voice, 1997
Avernus, soprano, piano, 1999
Les Branches (text by Arthur Rimbaud), soprano, clarinet (+ bass clarinet), trumpet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2000
Three Ancient Names (text by Callimachus), soprano, clarinet, cello, 2000
Soleil Noir (text by Gérard de Nerval), soprano, bass clarinet (+ contrabass clarinet), cello, piano, accordion, percussion, 2000
Ferne Tränen I–III (song-cycle, text by Andreas Gryphius), mezzo-soprano, trombone, violin, piano, button accordion, 2001 (each of its three sections may be performed separately)
'...et fait l'abîme fleurant...' (text by Arthur Rimbaud), soprano (+ 3 suspended crotales), clarinet, double bass, button accordion, 2002 (also version for clarinet)
Concerning the Ibis (text by Ovid), soprano (+ finger cymbals), E-flat clarinet, button accordion, 2002
Manifest (texts by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels), mezzo-soprano, bass clarinet, French horn, 2010
Una traccia lontana, any voice, 2012
L'ombre de l'éventail (text by Paul Claudel), soprano, clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello, piano, percussion, 2013
'Grau...' (text by Paul Celan), soprano, alto recorder, violin, 2014 (may be performed consecutively with '...und Farblos...' – 9 musikalischen Objekten zum Einsetzen in eine Klanglandschaft)
Ruh und Schweigen – (Eine fragmentarishce Redaktion des Gedichte von Georg Trakl) (text by Georg Trakl), soprano, A-clarinet, 2015
Dritte Trakl-Musik (text by Georg Trakl), any voice, fixed media, live electronics, 2013–16
Tristia A (text by Ovid), soprano, piano, 2018 (also longer version as Tristia B, soprano, flute, bass clarinet [+ clarinet], cello, piano, 2018)
Die Insel (three settings, text by Rainer Maria Rilke), high voice, piano, 2019
Madrigals (text by Giovanni Battista Guarini), soprano, oboe, clarinet, French horn, harpsichord, 2019 (each of its three sections may be performed separately: Cantilena, clarinet, French horn; Pastorale, oboe, harpsichord; Ombra, soprano, clarinet)
Nachtskizze (texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, Bertolt Brecht), soprano (+ hand percussion), flute, A-clarinet, cello, piano, 2021
PIANO:
Nachtstücke, 1991
Schattenbilder, 1995
Feuilles, 1998
Je sais les cieux crevant en éclairs, 2001
Les Noirs, 2003
Andachtsbild III, 2004
La Trépigneuse, 2008
'...la neige attend la neige...', 2021
Lignes noires dans un champ de neige, 2021
Stillness (five meditations), 2021
Leise, 2023
Easter (four small pieces), 2024
HARPSICHORD:
Elegies I, 1996
ELECTROACOUSTIC:
Five Interludes for R. U. R., fixed media, 2013 (collaboration with Clare Lesser, Hassina Sahkri)