Conductors and Composers of Popular Orchestral Music

A Biographical and Discographical Sourcebook

Naomi Musiker, Reuben Musiker

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781579580131
• eBook ISBN: 9781135917777
• Subtopic: Music

World-wide in scope and focusing on the second half of the 20th century, this work provides biographies and discographies of some 500 composers and conductors of light and popular orchestral music, including film, show, theatre and mood music. The book is arranged in two sequences: 1) Biographies and select discographies, both arranged alphabetically, of the well-known and better-known conductors and composers. These entries also include a list of suggested reading for those wishing to further their studies; and 2) Select discographies of conductors about whom little or no biographical information is available. The bibliography at the end of the book covers discographical sources, popular music and film music. This is the first time that the lives and recordings of such artists as Kostelanetz, Faith, and Gould as well as the orchestral recordings of such great popular composers as Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Rodgers, Berlin and Coward have been documented and presented in an encyclopedic form.

BIOGRAPHIES AND DISCOGRAPHIES OF CONDUCTORS AND COMPOSER

A

ADDINSELL, RICHARD (13 January 1904–14 November 1977)

Richard Addinsell was born in Oxford, England, and studied at the Royal College of Music, London. He commenced his career by contributions to the Andre Charlot revues. In 1929, he wrote the incidental music for the Old Vic production of Adam’s Opera and in 1930 left to study music in Europe. He returned to England in 1932 and wrote the music for the stage production of Alice in Wonderland. Shortly after that, Addinsell was contracted to write film music for RKO in Hollywood. During the 1930s, he also continued to write incidental music for shows and radio plays. For many years, he served as accompanist and cocomposer to the distinguished artist and film actress Joyce Grenfell. Their best-known work was probably ‘I’m Going to See You Today’.

Addinsell scored for about fifty films, the first being The Amateur Gentleman for Alexander Korda in 1936. He achieved fame in 1941, when he wrote ‘Warsaw Concerto’ for the film Dangerous Moonlight. He wrote the ‘Prelude and Waltz’ for Blithe Spirit (1945) and the theme music for The Passionate Friends (1948). Other notable compositions included ‘Ring Round the Moon’ and ‘Festival’. In 1957, he composed ‘I Found a Dream’ (lyrics by Christopher Hassall) for The Prince and The Showgirl.

ADDISON, JOHN (b. 16 March 1920)

John Addison was born in West Cobham, Surrey, and studied oboe, clarinet and piano at the Royal College of Music, London, where he won an award for composition. He served in World War II in the 23rd Hussars. Subsequently, he became a professor of harmony and composition at the Royal College of Music. His early works included various classical works; a ballet, Carte Blanche (1953); and incidental music for plays, Othello, produced by Laurence Olivier, the London revue Cranks and John Osborne’s Luther and The Entertainer, for which he later scored the film version.

Addison wrote the music for about ninety film scores, including Seven Days to Noon (1950); The Man Between (1953); The Maggie (1954); Reach for the Sky (1956); Lucky Jim (1957); Carleton-Browne of the F.O. (1958), A Taste of Honey (1962), Tom Jones (1963), for which he won an Academy Award; Torn Curtain (1966) and Sleuth (1972). His most recent work is the theme music for Angela Lansbury’s TV series Murder She Wrote.

ALWYN, WILLIAM (7 November 1905–12 September 1985)

William Alwyn was born in Northampton and graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, where he was appointed professor of composition. He composed various classical works and was a founder member of the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain, serving three terms as chairman. He was awarded the C.B.E. in 1978.

He scored some sixty feature films, including Desert Victory (a 1943 documentary), The Rake’s Progress (1945), Green for Danger (1946), Odd Man Out (1946), The Fallen Idol (1948), The History of Mr Polly (1949), A Night to Remember (1958), Carve Her Name with Pride (1958) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960).

AMBROSE (born Bert Ambrose) (1897–12 June 1973)

Ambrose was born in London and learned the violin as a child. He went to New York in his teens and played in cinema orchestras for silent films. He made his debut as violinist in a band led by Emil Coleman. From 1917 to 1920, he led the band at the Palais Royal, New York. He then returned to London to form an orchestra at the Embassy Club, Bond Street. In 1927, he moved to the Mayfair Club, where he stayed for six years, assembling one of the finest dance bands in the United Kingdom. This band earned a worldwide reputation that lasted for more than twenty years. The band broadcast regularly from the club and recorded for Decca, United Kingdom. His theme tune was ‘When Day Is Done’.

In 1933, Ambrose returned to the Embassy Club and for the rest of the 1930s played at Ciro’s, the Café de Paris and other London nightspots. In 1940 he toured the Variety theaters with a small group. He led a band throughout World War II and into the 1950s but disbanded in 1956.

He subsequently became an artist’s manager and was responsible for promoting the careers of Joe Crossman, George Chisholm, Max Goldberg, Lew Davis, Tommy Mcquater, Tiny Winters, Danny Polo, Billy Amstell and singer Kathy Kirby in the 1960s. He also played an important role in the careers of band leaders such as Ted Heath, STANLEY BLACK, George Shearing, Sidney Lipton, GEORGE MELACHRINO and arrangers Lew Stone and Sid Phillips. Vocalists who worked with him included Sam Browne, Elsie Carlisle, Evelyn Dahl, Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton and Denny Dennis.

Select Discography

Starlit Hour—The Music of Peter De Rose MGM E 3350

Compilations

Ambrose 1928–32 (1974); Recollections (1981); 1929 Sessions (1982); Happy Days 1929–30 (1982); Tribute to Cole Porter (1983); Soft Lights and Sweet Music (1983); Hits of 1931 (1984); Swing Is in the Air (1984); The Golden Age of Ambrose and His Orchestra (1985); Body and Soul (1986); Faithfully Yours 1930–32 (1986); I Only Have Eyes For You (1986); S’Wonderful (1987); Ambrose 1935–37 (1988); The Sun Has Got His Hat On (1988); Champagne Cocktail (1988).

ANDERSON, LEROY (29 June 1908–18 May 1975)

Biographical Details

Leroy Anderson was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He showed musical promise from an early age and mastered the organ and double-bass. While in high school he wrote the school’s graduation songs for three years running.

He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and at Harvard University, graduating in 1929. He obtained his master’s degree in 1930. He served as organist and choirmaster of the East Congregational Church in Milton, Massachusetts, from 1929 to 1935. In 1935, he became a freelance musician. He composed and arranged music for the BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA, directed by ARTHUR FIEDLER, and began to establish himself as a composer of light orchestral works. One of his first successes was ‘Jazz Pizzicato’, composed in 1939. After a period of active service in the U.S. Army, from 1942 to 1946, he resumed his musical career, producing popular compositions, most of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Around 1950, American Decca engaged him to record his works with a fifty-piece orchestra.

Musical Achievements

Some of his works included titles such as ‘Fiddle-Faddle’, ‘Syncopated Clock’, ‘Sleigh Ride’, ‘Blue Tango’, ‘Belle of the Ball’, ‘The Typewriter’, ‘Plink, Plank, Plunk’, ‘Serenata’, ‘Bugler’s Holiday’, ‘Sandpaper Ballet’, ‘The Waltzing Cat’, ‘Song of the Bells’, ‘Promenade’, ‘Phantom Regiment’, and ‘Forgotten Dreams’. He also composed the music for the 1958 Broadway musical Goldilocks.

Leroy Anderson

Anderson was a versatile musician, able to capture many moods and rhythms in his music. He was extremely fond of string arrangements, particularly violin pizzicato.

‘Blue Tango’ sold over two million records and became the first strictly instrumental number to top the American Hit Parade. ‘Fiddle-Faddle’ is reminiscent of the ‘perpetual motion’ compositions of the nineteenth century, e.g., the ‘Moto Perpetuo’ of Paganini. ‘The Typewriter’ was used to good effect in the 1959 motion picture But Not for Me, starring Clark Gable. ‘Sandpaper Ballet’ conjures up a picture of the once very popular soft shoe shuffle, featured in the world of variety theater. ‘Serenata’ contained lively Latin...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword by David Ades
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Key to Record Symbols
• Biographies and Discographies of Conductors and Composers
• Select Bibliography
• Index