The LightStyle of Peter Maxwell Davies' Mavis in Las Vegas

Kheng K. Koay

Peter Maxwell Davies ； Late 20th-century music ； Mavis in Las Vegas ； Fusion style music

關渡音樂學刊

27期（2018 / 02 / 01）

53 - 74

英文

This study explores Peter MaxwellDavies' creative imagination that is reflected in Mavis in Las Vegas (1997), a piece that demonstrates his personal expression of humor and his way of looking at the place with refreshing originality. The composition has extra-musical associations with Davies' personal experience in Las Vegas. In it, not only does Davies experiment with many possibilities in music vocabulary, but also freely stretches his music beyond the standard conventions of Western art music. Throughout the composition, conventional structural boundaries of the form are blurred; not only does Davies provide an overall structure to the composition in his own way, but one also witnesses his renewal of traditional form within sections. Like much of his music, he plays around with tonal center in some music passages and sections. On the other hand, Davies also embraces different music cultures that he encountered. Pop music idioms such as blue notes and off-beat stresses being incorporated into the composition, creating jazzy moods. Although stylistically incoherent, the composition is unified by a ＂message＂ Davies intended to share with and communicate to his listeners. Different characteristics in sections evoke Davies' description of his memorable trip. Mavis in Las Vegascertainly reveals the productivity and creativity in musical language of the composer.

1. “Talking to Composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Conductor Christopher Austin at the Livorno Music Festival.＂ Livornonow, August-September, 2013.http://www.livornonow.com/talking_to_composer_sir_peter_maxwell_davies_and_conductor_christopher_austin_at_the_livorno_music_festival (accessed: March 31,2016)
2. “Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, composer - obituary.＂The Telegraph, 14 March, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12159467/Sir-Peter-Maxwell-Daviescomposer-obituary.html(accessed: 17 March, 2016)
3. Berkeley, Michael“Mr. Unstoppable.＂The Guardian, 9 March 2004.http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/09/classicalmusicandopera3 (accessed: 12 August, 2015)
4. Charlotte, Higgins.“Peter Maxwell Davies hits out against Damien Hirst, the universe and everything.＂The Guardian, 8 October 2008. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2008/oct/08/classicalmusicandopera (accessed: 12 August, 2015).
5. Davies, Peter Maxwell.“Composition questions answered - 3 of 4.＂Maxopus.com, January 2006.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=33 (accessed: 24 March, 2016).
6. Davies, Peter Maxwell.“Composition questions answered - 1 of 4.＂Maxopus.com, January 2006.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=31 (accessed: 24 March, 2016).
7. Davies, Peter Maxwell. “Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 2, St. Thomas Wake.＂ Perf. BBC Philharmonic. Compact disc. Naxos 8.572349
8. Davies, Peter Maxwell.“Composer's Note: Purcell: Fantasia and Two Pavans.＂Maxopus.com.http://www.maxopus.com/work_detail.aspx?key=194 (accessed: 3 May, 2017)
9. Davies, Peter Maxwell.“Composition questions answered - 4 of 4.＂Maxopus.com, January 2006.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=34(accessed: 24 March, 2016)
10. Davies, Peter Maxwell.“Keynote speech given at the ArtMusFair 2009 Manifesto briefing, Glasgow.＂Maxopus.com, October, 2009.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=69(accessed: 24 March, 2016)
11. Duffie, Bruce.“Sir Peter Maxwell Davies: A Conversation with Bruce Duffie.＂Fall 1985. http://www.bruceduffie.com/pmd.html (accessed: 8 August, 2016)
12. Grimshaw, Jeremy.“Peter Maxwell Davies: Mavies in Las Vegas, Theme and Variations for Orchestra, J. 287.＂Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/composition/mavis-in-las-vegas-theme-and-variations-fororchestra-j-287-mc0002423061(accessed: 27 April, 2017)
13. Hewett, Ivan.“Peter Maxwell Davies: The Old Rebel has a New Cause.＂The Telegraph, 6 June, 2012.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/9314713/Peter-Maxwell- Davies-The-old-rebel-hasa-new-cause.html(accessed: August 13, 2015)
14. Hewett, Ivan.“Sir Peter Maxwell Davies obituary.＂The Guardian, 14 March, 2016.http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/14/sir-peter-maxwell-daviesobituary(accessed:17 March, 2016)
15. Howard, Ali.“Sir Peter Maxwell Davies on his 40-year Love Affair with the Orkney Islands.＂Heraldscotland.com, 1 August, 2011.http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13033752.Sir_Peter_Maxwell_Davies_on_his_40_year_love_affair_with_the_Orkney_Islands/(accessed: 13 August, 2015)
16. Jones, Nicholas.“Towards the Symphonic Odyssey.＂Maxopus.com, January 2000.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=64 (accessed: 5 June, 2017)
17. Jones, Nicholas.“Conversation between Max and Nicholas Jones.＂Maxopus.com, April 2007.http://www.maxopus.com/resources_detail.aspx?key=30(accessed: 24 March, 2016).
18. Moss, Stephen.“Sounds and Silence.＂The Guardian, 19 June, 2004.http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/jun/19/classicalmusicandopera.proms2004(accessed:12 August, 2015)
19. Pruslin, Stephen,Davies, Peter Maxwell(1989).Peter Maxwell Davies's Symphony No.4.The Musical Times,130(1759),520-521+523.
20. Serotsky, Paul.“Maxwell Davies (1934-) - Mavis in Las Vegas.＂Musicweb. http://www.musicweb-international.com/Programme_Notes/maxwell_lasvegas.htm(accessed: 26, April, 2017)
21. Siepmann, Jeremy.“On Wings of Song: Peter Maxwell Davies talks to Jeremy Siepmann.＂Naxos, 1 July 2012http://www.naxos.com/news/default.asp?op=997&displayMenu=Interviews&type=2#(accessed: 7 January 2016)