Laurence Crane

Laurence Crane

Laurence Crane (b. 1961) has a M.A. Degree in composition from the Nottingham University. Mostly he writes orchestral and chamber music, but he has also written for theatre, film, dance and installations. Crane is affiliated to the British ensemble Apartment House, which has performed his works more than 40 times.

He has composed mainly for the piano, and Michael Finnissy and Tim Parkinson are among those who have performed his work. The latter has written the following about Crane:

“In Laurence Crane’s music the material chosen is familiar; mostly consonant, often tonal, triads, elementary chords, old well-used intervals rescued from a previous unjust ignorant redundancy. The familiar sound or image is abstracted by being placed in a new, clean and often isolated context, like a museum glass case. Its innate value is respected by it remaining alone, unornamented and unaffected during the course of the piece by any development or transformation; the image staying as and where it is by being gently reiterated or prolonged so that it holds our full attention.”

Crane’s works are performed at music festivals all over the world, and at Ultima as well. Last year, asamisima played John White in Berlin (2003), at the Norwegian Academy of Music. In 2002 the piece Raimondas Rumsas was performed first time by man/cello (Anton Lukoszevieze) at Parkteatret in Oslo.