Tunley, David (Evatt)

views updated

Tunley, David (Evatt)

Tunley, David (Evatt), respected Australian musicologist and composer; b. Sydney, May 5,1930. He was educateci at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music in Sydney (diploma, 1950), Trinity Coll., London (diploma, 1950), the Univ. of Durham (B.Mus., 1958; M.Mus., 1963), with Nadia Boulanger in Paris on a French government scholarship (1964-65), and the Univ. of Western Australia (D.Litt, 1970, with the diss. The 18thCentury Secular French Cantata;publ, in London, 1974; 2nded., 1997). In 1958 he joined the faculty of the Univ. of Western Australia, where he was a prof, from 1979 until being named prof, emeritus in 1994, and where he also was head of the music dept. from 1985 to 1991. In 1980-81 he was national president of the Musicological Soc. of Australia, of which he was made an honorary life member. He was chairperson of the Music Board of the Australia Council in 1984-85. From 1991 to 1994 he was national chairperson of the Australian Music Examinations Board. In 1980 he was made a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, in 1983 a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques of France, and in 1987 a member of the Order of Australia. In addition to his contributions to various reference works and scholarly journals, he has prepared modern performing editions of French vocal music of the 17thto 19thcenturies.

Writings

Ed. with F. Callaway, Australian Composition in the 20thCentury (Melbourne, 1980); Couperin (London, 1982); Harmony in Action (London, 1984); ed. The 18thCentury French Cantata in Facsimile (17 vols., N.Y., 1990-91); ed. Romantic French Song 1830-1870 in Facsimile (6 vols., N.Y., 1994); The Bel Canto Violin: The Life and Times of Alfredo Campoli 1906-1991 (London, 1999).

Works

2 Carolsfor Chorus, after Gerard Manley Hopkins (1955); A Wedding Masquefor Soloists, Women’s Chorus, and Small Orch. (1961; rev. 1970): 2 Preludesfor Piano (1962); Suite for 2 Violins (1965); Concerto for Clarinet and Strings (1966; rev. 1999); Inflorescencefor Chorus, Clarinet, and Timpani (1978); Elegyin memoriam Salek Minefor Chamber Ensemble (1986); Immortal Firefor Chorus and Children’s Voices (1999).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire