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David practising on the
Marchal organ at home
[Photo: Gerco Schaap]

Composing process

Extract from an interview in The American Organist

Reviewers' remarks

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Opus
Title
Instrumentation
Date
 
Sonata for Oboe and Organ
oboe and organ
1981-1982
1
Three Pieces for organ
1. Chorale Prelude on "Praise my soul The King of Heaven"
2. Fugue on André Marchal
3. Scherzo
organ
1981-1983
2
Two Ballades
organ
1984-1985
3
Toccata
organ
1988 rev 1999
4
Symphonic Labyrinth
organ
1988-1993 rev 2002
5
Valse Locrienne
organ
1989-1990
6
English Organ Mass
organ
1990-1991
7
Arabesque
organ
1992
8
Nocturne
organ
1992-1995
9
Variations on Mit Freuden zart
organ
1992-1993
10/1
Skye Boat Song
organ
 1995 
10/2
Eriskay Love Lilt
organ
1996 
11
Chorale Metamorphosis
organ
 1996 rev 2005/6
11
Chorale Metamorphosis (chamber version)
2 violins, violoncello and harmonium
2020
12
Ripieno Giubilante
organ (with optional trumpet)
 1997
13
Seven Fugues for piano
piano
 1978-1981
14
Barely starlit sea
organ
1999-2000
15
Homophony
organ
1999-2000 
16
Missa Brevis
choir and organ
2002
17
Paradoxon
organ
2003
18
Occasional Antiphons (short works for church use)
mostly vocal
with instruments
2010 onwards 
19
Polyphony in T major, or Earl Grey’s Fancy
organ
2010-2011
20
Sharounag, based on Armenian themes
organ
2010
21
Mnemonic Suite
organ
2012
22
Partita espressiva in A for harmonium
harmonium
2016
23
Partita narrativa in B for harmonium
harmonium
2017
24
Partita penultima in B flat for harmonium
harmonium
2019
22-24
Three Partitas - Espressiva, Narrative and Penultima - for organ
organ
2016-2019 arr 2019
‘Quem Pastores Laudavere’
soprano, alto and harmonium, or
SATB choir and organ
2017
Psalm 27 to the tune ‘Juliette’
soprano and harmonium, piano or organ
2019
Merbecke Holy Communion, arranged by David Aprahamian Liddle
voice(s) and organ
2019
Dzidzernag, ‘The Swallow’
piano
2019

 

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David Aprahamian Liddle's composing process

Paradoxically, the very fact of working at a small chamber organ or piano has refined Liddle’s ear for the tonal colours of registration.

He memorises naturally while composing – on average one new work a year – then writes out the music in Braille. Next, the score is dictated to a transcriber, formerly writing longhand, more recently using computer (Sibelius). With assistance Liddle corrects the scores and makes revisions, sometimes over a considerable period.

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Extract from an interview in The American Organist

"My composing has always taken great inspiration from all the music I most love and admire, in particular whatever has been recently preoccupying me.

My first huge influence was Chopin, then a tremendous encounter with Hindemith, a strong and everlasting current of Bach, another important encounter with Duruflé, and Alain, Vierne and Widor. The varying amount to which each one influences me is according to what I have been learning and listening to.

Vierne's Pièces de Fantasie appeal to me strongly because of their individual wholeness and perfection - their structure, language, texture, design, coloristic effects, and character. Also, Vierne has a dry and very charming humor that I seldom find in other organ composers. But Widor is at least as important to me now for his intellect, his grand structures, his experiments in texture, and his intensity.

I have more recently become fond of much English organ music and feel drawn to exploring its qualities. I rejoice in discovering how my taste can change over the years and how my compositional palette is widened as a result."

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Reviewers' remarks

"...the artistic challenge they (Liddle's organ works) present to both performers and audiences in an age of 'easy listening' is bound in the longer term to improve the prestige of the King of Instruments in its unhappy and unmerited cultural exile"      Andrew Thompson (Musical Times)

"His music is highly crafted and displays great integrity"     Timothy Hone (Organists' Review)

"....full of interest musically"     (The Organ)

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