Beckett in New Musical Composition

Abstract

The musical legacy of Samuel Beckett is evident in the large number of compositions inspired by his work. Moreover, Beckett's influence has endured beyond the associations with musical modernism from the 1960s onwards. How, then, do the approaches of younger composers relate to and differ from those working during Beckett's lifetime, and what are the implications for performance? This article explores these questions in relation to two recent compositions: Damien Harron's what is the word (2011) for flute, percussion, piano and electronics, and Martin Iddon's head down among the stems and bells (2009) for amplified prepared piano.