Davitt Moroney was born in England in 1950. After studies at King’s College (University of London), he completed the Master’s program in musicology with a thesis on Italian music for the Roman Counter-Reformation: “Giovanni Animuccia, Missarum Liber Primus” (1972). He studied performance with the Austrian organist Susi Jeans, the Canadian harpsichordist Kenneth Gilbert and Dutch organist and harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt, and holds concert performance and teaching diplomas from London’s Royal Academy of Music (1974) and Royal College of Music (1975). He entered the doctoral program in musicology at Berkeley in 1975. His doctoral dissertation, “Under Fower Sovereygnes: Thomas Tallis and the Transformation of English Polyphony” (1980) was a study of the music composed by Thomas Tallis and William Byrd for the English Reformation. After leaving Berkeley, for twenty-one years he was based in Paris, working mostly as a freelance recitalist in many countries. For his services to music he was named Chevalier in “Order of Cultural Merit” by Prince Rainier III of Monaco (1988), and the French government named him Officier in the “Order of Arts and Letters” (2000). He returned to Berkeley as a Professor in August 2001. He is also University Organist.
Compositions/Performances/Publications
Principal Scholarly Editions: J. S. BACH: The Art of the Fugue (Munich, 1989) / J. BENNET: Madrigals, 1599 (London, 1978) / J. BLOW: John Blow’s Anthology (MS Bruxelles 15.418), (London, 1978) / T. CHILCOT: Six Suites of Lessons for the Harpsichord, 1734 (Paris, 1981) / F. COUPERIN: Musique Vocale, III, with K. Gilbert and O. Memed (Monaco, 1996); Musique de Chambre, IV, with K. Gilbert (Monaco, 1992); Musique de Chambre, II, with K. Gilbert (Monaco, 1988) / Musique de Chambre, III, with K. Gilbert (Monaco, 1987) / Musique Vocale, II, with K. Gilbert (Monaco, 1985) / Pièces d’Orgue, with K. Gilbert (Monaco, 1982) / L. COUPERIN: Pièces de Clavecin (Monaco, 1985) / J. FARMER: Madrigals, 1599 (London, 1979) / M. GREENE: A Collection of Lessons for the Harpsichord, 1750 (London, 1978) / L. MARCHAND: Pièces de Clavecin (Monaco, 1987) / H. PURCELL: 20, Keyboard Pieces: The Purcell Manuscript (London, 1999) / J.-Ph. RAMEAU: Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts, with Denis Herlin (Paris, 1996)
Principal Articles, Prefaces, etc.: “L’Allemande mysterieuse de Simon Renard,” in Musique, Images, Instrument, 2002 / “L’imagination replie de mille belles choses,” in Actes du Colloque “Mémoires de l’Ephémère: Fêtes et Spectacles dans le patrimoine écrit,” Lyon, 1997), Lyon, 1998, pp. 87-95 / “Le Couperin de Turin: Marc Roger Normand,” Preface to facsimile (Geneva, 1998) / “Le Manuscrit Bauyn”, Preface to facsimile (Geneva, 1998) / “Couperin et les Contradicteurs: La Révision de ‘L’Art de Toucher le Clavecin’, Actes du Colloque Couperin 1995, (Académie de Villecroze, 1998) / “Du style et du goût; questions d’interprétation dans la musique baroque”, Marsyas, Revue de pédagogie et chorégraphie, Cité de la musique, (Paris, June 1996, pp. 12-18) / “Orders of the Dance”, BBC Music Magazine, Exploring Early Music, London, pp. 55-57 (1996) / “Louis Couperin: Les Pièces d’Orgue”, Le Monde de la Musique (July 1995) / “Bounds and Compasses: The Range of Byrd’s Keyboards”, Sundry Sorts of Music Books: Essays presented to O.W. Neighbour on his 70th Birthday (London, The British Library, 1993) / “A New Completion for Bach’s Unfinished Fugue BWV 906/2”, Aspects of Keyboard Music: Essays in Honour of Susi Jeans, ed. R. Judd (Oxford, 1992) / “Johann Sebastian Bach, Das wohltemperirte Clavier”, The British Library, Stefan Zweig Series of Concerts, Lectures and Exhibitions (1991) / “Style, Passion, Liberté!” (with Olivier Baumont), Le Monde, (13 September 1990) / “Chambonnières and his ‘Belle manière’”, J.-B. Lully, Actes du colloque 1987 (Laaber, 1990) / “Thinking and Pondering about Byrd”, The Musical Times (January 1987) / “Robert Thurston Dart: Bibliography of Publications”, Source Materials and the Interpretation of Music, ed. Ian Bent (London, 1981) / Five Articles for The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (London, 1980): “Auda, Antoine”, “Apothéose”, “Déploration”, “Prélude non mesuré”, “Responsory” / “The Performance of Unmeasured Harpsichord Preludes”, Early Music (April 1976) / “Choir Schools in London”, Times Educational Supplement (6 February 1975) / “Divinity in Odd Numbers” (article on J. Obrecht), The Statistician, vol. 24/2 (1975)
Discography: J. S. BACH: The Art of Fugue, 2 CDs, Associated Board (2001); The Art of Fugue, 2 CDs, HMC 901169 (1985); won the British “Gramophone Award” (1986); The Six Sonatas for violin and harpsichord, 2 CDs, Virgin VCD 790741 (1989); with John Holloway; The Well tempered Clavier, 4 CDs, Harmonia Mundi HMC 901285 (1988); Musical Offering, HMC 901260 (1987); with Janet See, John Holloway, Martha Cook, Jaap ter Linden; Italian Concerto; French Ouverture, etc. Virgin VCD 791514 (1992); Concertos for 3 and 4 harpsichords, OL 433 053 (1992); with Christopher Hogwood, Christophe Rousset, Colin Tilney; The Complete Sonatas for flute and harpsichord, 2 CDs, Harmonia Mundi HMU 907024 (1991); with Janet See; The French Suites, 2 CDs, Virgin VCD 791201 (1991); nominated for the British “Gramophone Award” (1991); Preludes and fugues, Suites, 1 video disc, Amadeo Video PHLK-5009 (1994); with Sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord, with Christophe Coin / H. I. von BIBER: The Rosary Sonatas, 2 CDs, Virgin VCD 790838 (1990); with John Holloway, violin; won the British “Gramophone Award” (1991) / W. BYRD: Complete Works for Keyboard, 7 CDs, Hyperion CDA66551/7 (1999); won the British “Gramophone Award” (2000) & German Music Critics’ Prize (2000); Pavans & Galliards, 2 CDs, Harmonia Mundi HMC 901241 (1986) / F. COUPERIN: “Les Idées heureuses”, Homage to F. Couperin, Harmonia Mundi HMC 901275 (1987); 10 Motets, Harmonia Mundi HMC 901150 (1985); with Jill Feldman, Isabelle Poulenard, Jaap ter Linden; Concerts royaux, Harmonia Mundi HMC 901151 (1985); with Robert Claire, Janet See, Jaap ter Linden; Chamber Music, 1 LP, Titanic TI-39 (1979); with The San Francisco Baroque Ensemble / Louis COUPERIN: Complete Harpsichord Works, 4 CDs, HMA 901124 (1983); Complete Organ Works, 3 CDs, Radio France (Harmonia Mundi) TEM 316001-3 (1995); won the French “Grand prix du disque” (1996) / M. R. N. COUPERIN: Livre de tablature de Clavescin, Hyperion CDA 67164 (1999) / J. J. FROBERGER: Keyboard pieces, Radio France (Harmonia Mundi) TEM 316007 (1997) / W. A. MOZART: Sonatas; with J.C. Bach, Sonatas, National Trust (UK), NTC 101 (1996) / W. A. MOZART, J. C. BACH etc.: “For two to play”, Virgin VCD 545019; music for four hands, with Olivier Baumont (1994) / H. PURCELL: “The Purcell Manuscript”, Virgin VC 5 45166 2 (1995); Complete Organ Works, Arcana A 10 (1993); with ten Anthems, with Jill Feldman / N. SIRET: Complete Harpsichord Works, 2 CDs, Accord 205332 MU 744 (1998)
