Del Tredici, David (1937– )

US composer. His early music contains several settings of Joyce: I Hear an Army (1964) for soprano and string quartet, Night Conjure-Verse (1965) for voices and instruments, and Syzygy (1968) for soprano, horn, bells, and chamber orchestra. Since 1968 his music been concerned with Lewis Carroll's ‘Alice’ stories.

He studied at Berkeley and with Roger Sessions at Princeton. His compositions on the ‘Alice’ theme include: Pop-Pourri, for voices, rock group, and orchestra (1968), The Lobster Quadrille for soprano, folk music ensemble, and orchestra (1969, revised 1974), Vintage Alice (1971; same forces), An Alice Symphony (1976), Final Alice, for orchestra (1976), Child Alice, for soprano and orchestra, in four parts: In Memory of a Summer Day, Happy Voices, All in the Golden Afternoon, and Quaint Events (1977–81; performed separately in St Louis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Rotterdam, 1980–83; first complete performance Aspen, 1984); March to Tonality for orchestra (1985); Haddock's Eyes for soprano and ensemble (1986); and Steps for orchestra (1990).