1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Richard Rodney Bennett Biography (1936-)

Born March 29, 1936, in Broadstairs, Kent, England; son of H. Rodney (a lyricist and author) and Joan Esther (a musician, composer, and music critic; maiden name, Spink) Bennett. Addresses: Agent: Nigel Britten, Lemon, Unna& Durbridge Ltd., 24 Pottery Lane, Holland Park, London W11 4LZ, England.; Contact: Novello and Co. Ltd., 8-10 Lower James St., London W1R 3PL, England.

Nationality

British

Gender

Male

Occupation

Composer

Birth Details

March 29, 1936

Broadstairs, Kent, United Kingdom

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Work
• Music conductor, Billion Dollar Brain, United Artists, 1967
• (As Richard Bennett) Guitarist, Wag the Dog, New Line Cinema, 1997
• Stage Work
• Accompanist, The Cat's Meow, Café Carlyle, New York City, 2001
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• Billion Dollar Brain (soundtrack recording), 1967
• Far from the Madding Crowd (soundtrack recording), 1967
• Contributor to recordings by Elisabeth Lutyens; supervisor of orchestration for Standing Stone, by Paul McCartney, 1997.
• WRITINGS
• Film Scores
• The World Assured (documentary), British Insurance Institute, c. 1955.
• Pickup Alley (also known as Interpol), Columbia, 1957
• (As Richard Bennett) Indiscreet, Warner Bros., 1958
• The Man Inside, Columbia, 1958
• Menace in the Night (also known as A Face in the Night), United Artists, 1958
• The Safecracker, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1958
• Chance Meeting (also known as Blind Date), Paramount, 1959
• (As Richard Bennett) The Angry Hills, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1959
• The Devil's Disciple, United Artists, 1959
• The Man Who Could Cheat Death, Paramount, 1959
• The Mark, Continental, 1961
• Only Two Can Play, British Lion, 1961 (some sources cite 1962).
• Satan Never Sleeps (also known as The Devil Never Sleeps and Flight from Terror), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1962
• The Wrong Arm of the Law, Continental, 1963 (some sources cite 1962).
• Heavens Above!, British Lion, 1963
• Billy Liar, Continental, 1963
• One Way Pendulum, United Artists, 1964 (some sources cite 1965).
• The Nanny, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1965
• The Devil's Own (also known as The Witches), 1966 TwentiethCentury-Fox, 1967
• Far from the Madding Crowd, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
• Billion Dollar Brain, United Artists, 1967
• Secret Ceremony, Universal, 1968
• The Buttercup Chain, Warner Bros., 1970
• Figures in a Landscape, National General, 1971 (some sources cite1970).
• Nicholas and Alexandra, Columbia, 1971
• The Go Between, 1971
• Lady Caroline Lamb (also known as Peccato d'amore), UnitedArtists, 1973
• Voices (also known as Nightmare), Hemdale, 1973
• Of Jewels and Gold, 1973
• Murder on the Orient Express, Paramount, 1974
• Permission to Kill, Warner Bros., 1975
• L'imprecateur (also known as The Accuser), Parafrance, 1977
• Equus, United Artists, 1977
• The Brink's Job (also known as Big Stickup at Brink's), Universal, 1978
• Yanks (also known as Yanks--Gestern waren wir noch Freunde), Universal, 1979
• Return of the Soldier, European Classics, 1982
• Enchanted April, Miramax, 1993 (some sources cite 1992).
• Four Weddings and a Funeral, Gramercy Pictures, 1994
• Swann, Norstar Releasing, 1996
• Film Music
• Other
• "Amazed and Confused," The Jazz Singer, Associated Film, 1980
• Television Movie Scores
• Sherlock Holmes in New York, 1976
• Agatha Christie's Murder with Mirrors, CBS, 1985
• Tender Is the Night, Showtime, 1985
• Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, NBC, 1987
• The Attic: The Hiding of Ann Frank, 1987 (some sources cite 1988).
• The Man Who Lived at the Ritz, syndicated, 1988
• The Tale of Sweeney Todd, Showtime, 1998
• Also composer of music for The Charmer, The Christians, andL. P. Hartley Trilogy.
• Television Music
• Other
• Incidental music, Doctor Who (series), 1964
• "The Ebony Tower," Great Performances, PBS, 1987 (some sources cite 1984).
• "Strange Interlude," American Playhouse, PBS, 1988 (some sources cite 1987).
• The Story of Hollywood (series), TNT, 1988
• An Evening with Maria Ewing, Arts and Entertainment, 1990
• Gormenghast (miniseries), BBC America, 2000
• Operas
• The Ledge, libretto by Adrian Mitchell, Sadler's Wells Theatre, England, 1961
• The Mines of Sulphur, libretto by Beverley Cross, Sadler's Wells Theatre, 1965
• A Penny for a Song (based on John Whiting's comedy), Sadler's Wells Opera Company, 1967
• Victory (based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad), libretto by Beverley Cross, Covent Garden Theatre, London, 1970
• All the King's Men (children's opera), 1970
• Symphonies
• Symphony Number One, Royal Festival Hall, London, 1966
• Symphony Number Two, performed by the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, 1969
• Symphony Number Three, Three Choirs Festival, 1987
• Concertos
• Horn Concerto, 1955
• Piano Concerto Number One, performed by Stephen Bishop and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, 1968
• Oboe Concerto, 1970
• Guitar Concerto, 1970
• Concerto for Viola and Chamber Ensemble, 1973
• Concerto for Orchestra, 1973
• Violin Concerto, 1975
• Scena and commedia: Commedia II, 1976
• Harpsichord Concerto, 1980
• Scena and commedia: Concerto for Wind Quintet, 1983
• Clarinet Concerto, 1987
• Saxophone Concerto, 1988
• Marimba Concerto, 1988
• Ballets
• Isadora, choreography by Kenneth Macmillan, Royal Opera House, London, 1981
• Noctuary (variations on a theme by Scott Joplin), 1985
• Vocal/Choral Compositions
• Put Away the Flutes, 1952
• Nocturnal upon St. Lucie's Day, 1954
• The Tillaquils, 1955
• Three Songs, 1955
• Ricercar, 1956
• Farewell to Arms, 1959
• The Approaches to Sleep, 1960
• Lament, 1960
• The Worlde's Joie, 1960
• Tom O'Bedlam's Song, 1961
• Childe Rolande to the Dark Tower Came, 1961
• Three Madrigals, 1961
• London Pastoral, 1962
• Three Elegies, 1962
• Nowell, Nowell, Tidings True, 1963
• Two Lullabies, 1963
• The Sorrows of Mary, 1964
• Verses, 1964
• One Evening, 1964
• Epithalamion (for chorus and orchestra), Leeds Festival, Leeds, England, 1967
• Soliloquy, 1967
• Five Carols, 1967
• The Music That Her Echo Is, 1967
• Two Carols, 1968
• Crazy Jane, 1968
• Jazz Pastoral, 1969
• A Garland for Marjory Fleming, 1969
• Four Devotions, 1971
• Funny Thing, 1971
• The House of Sleepe, 1971
• She Reminds Me of You, 1971
• Tenebrae, 1971
• Sonnet Sequence, 1972
• Nightpiece, 1972
• Quietly with Bright Eyes, 1972
• Time's Whiter Scenes, 1974
• Spells, 1975
• The Ghost Who Died for Love, 1976
• First Thing about Me, 1977
• Let's Go and Live in the Country, 1978
• Our Own Kind of Dancing, 1979
• Nonsense, 1979
• Puer nobis, 1980
• I Never Went Away, 1980
• Letters to Lindbergh, 1981
• Vocalize, 1981
• Seachange, 1981
• This Is the Garden, 1984
• Five Sonnets of Louise Labe, 1984
• Lullaby Mine Liking, 1984
• Love Songs, 1984
• Nowel, 1986
• A Death Shall Have No Domain, 1986
• Lullaby Baby, 1986
• Dream Songs, 1986
• Ophelia, 1987
• Other Musical Compositions
• String Quarter Number 1, 1951
• Variations for Solo Oboe, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1953
• String Quartet Number 2, 1953
• String Quartet Number 3, 1953
• Sonata for Piano, 1954
• Sonata for Flute, 1955
• Four Improvisations, 1955
• Sonata Number 1, 1955
• Sonata for Cello, 1955
• Sonata for Viola, 1955
• Parallels, 1955
• Five Pieces, 1956
• Cycle for Piano I-IX, 1957
• Studies for Five Instruments, 1957
• Study, 1957
• Theme and Variations, 1957
• Music for Two Pianos, 1958
• Cycle II for Paul Jacobs, 1958
• Music for an Occasion, 1959
• Stanzas for Flute, 1959
• Journal, 1960
• Calendar, 1960
• Stanzas for Organ, 1960
• Winter Music, 1960
• Sonata for Oboe and Piano, 1961
• Suite francaise, 1961
• The Approaches of Sleep (cantata), 1961
• Pastorale (song cycles), 1962
• Quartet for Clarinet, String Trio, and Piano, 1962
• Fanfare, 1962
• Fantasy, 1962
• Nocturnes, 1963
• Rondo, 1963
• A Jazz Calendar (chamber music), 1964
• Violin Sonata Number Two, 1964
• Five Studies for the Piano, 1964
• Aubade, 1964
• Trio for Three Violins, 1964
• Sonata Number 2, 1964
• Suite, 1965
• Trio for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, 1965
• A Canon for Stravinsky, 1967
• Quintet, 1968
• Capriccio, 1968
• Impromptu for Guitar, 1968
• Impromptu for Flute, 1969
• Intrada, 1970
• Madrigals, 1971
• Commedia I, 1972
• Commedia III, 1973
• Alba, 1973
• Scena I, 1973
• Commedia IV, 1974
• Four Piece Suite, 1974
• Quartet for Oboe and String Trio, 1975
• Zodiac, 1976
• Serenade, 1976
• Telegram, 1976
• Actaeon, 1977
• Music for Strings, 1977
• Kandinsky Variations, 1977
• Scena III, 1977
• Double Brass Concert, 1978
• Sonata for Horn and Piano, 1978
• Sonata for Violin and Piano, 1978
• Sonnets for Orpheus, 1979
• Metamorphoses, 1980
• Six Tunes for the Instruction of Singing Birds, 1981
• Music for String Quartet, 1981
• Impromptu on the Name of Haydn, 1981
• Sonatina for Clarinet, 1981
• Anniversaries, 1982
• Freda's Fandango, 1982
• After Syrinx I, 1982
• Memento (for solo flute and string orchestra), 1983
• Sonata for Guitar, 1983
• Sinfonietta, 1984
• Moving into Aquarius, 1984
• Serenade II, 1984
• After Syrinx, 1984
• Sounds and Sweet Airs, 1985
• Sonata after Syrinx, 1985
• Duo Concertante, 1985
• Reflections on a Theme of William Walton, 1985
• Romances, 1985
• Tango after Syrinx, 1985
• Tender Is the Night: Suite, 1985
• Morning Music, 1986
• Dream Dancing, 1986
• Lamento d'Arianna, 1986
• After Ariadne, 1986
• Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano, 1986
• Suite for Skip and Sadie, 1986
• Sonata for Wind Quartet and Piano, 1987
• The Flowers of the Forest, 1989
• Other Writings
• Contributor of articles about music to periodicals.

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

• A Jazz Calendar was adapted for use in Frederick Ashton's ballet of the same name, first performed by the Royal Ballet in 1968.

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 2nd edition, 1998