Richard Stewart Addinsell (13 January 190414 November 1977) was an English composer, best known for film music, primarily his ''

Warsaw Concerto The ''Warsaw Concerto'' is a short work for piano and orchestra by Richard Addinsell, written for the 1941 British film ''Dangerous Moonlight'', which is about the Polish struggle against the 1939 invasion by Nazi Germany. In performance it norm ...

'', composed for the 1941 film ''

Dangerous Moonlight ''Dangerous Moonlight'' (US: ''Suicide Squadron'') is a 1941 British film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anton Walbrook. Among the costumes, the gowns were designed by Cecil Beaton. The film is best known for its score written ...

'' (also known under the later title ''Suicide Squadron'').

Biography

Early life

Richard Addinsell was born in

Woburn Square Woburn Square is the smallest of the Bloomsbury squares and owned by the University of London. Designed by Thomas Cubitt and built between 1829 and 1847, it is named after Woburn Abbey, the main country seat of the Dukes of Bedford, who develope ...

, London, to William Arthur Addinsell, who was a chartered accountant, and his wife, Annie Beatrice Richards.Lamb, Andrew (2004)
'Addinsell, Richard Stewart (1904–1977)'
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 13 September 2011. The younger of two brothers, Addinsell was educated at home before attending

Hertford College, Oxford Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The col ...

, to study Law but went down after just 18 months. He then became interested in music.

Early career

In 1925, he enrolled at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

but lasted only two terms before leaving, again without obtaining any formal qualification. By this time Addinsell was already collaborating with

Noel Gay Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city * Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community *1563 Noël, an asteroid * Mount Noel, Briti ...

, among others, in an ''

André Charlot André Eugène Maurice Charlot (26 July 1882 – 20 May 1956) was a French impresario known primarily for the successful musical revues he staged in London between 1912 and 1937. He also worked as a character actor in numerous films. Early l ...

Revue''. More work for Charlot in 1927 was followed in 1928 by a collaboration with

Clemence Dane Clemence Dane CBE is the pseudonym of Winifred Ashton (21 February 1888 – 28 March 1965), an English novelist and playwright. Life and career After completing her education, Dane went to Switzerland to work as a French tutor, but returne ...

on ''Adam's Opera'' at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal Vi ...

. In 1929, he completed his informal education by touring Europe to visit major theatrical and musical centres such as Berlin and Vienna. In 1932, with Clemence Dane, he wrote the

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead ...

for the Broadway adaptation of the combined ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...

'' and

Through the Looking Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...

Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a British-born American stage actress, producer, director, translator, and author. A Broadway star by age 21, Le Gallienne gave up her Broadway appearances to devote herself to founding ...

, starring

Josephine Hutchinson Josephine Hutchinson (October 12, 1903 – June 4, 1998) was an American actress. She acted in several theater plays and films. Early years Hutchinson was born in Seattle, Washington. Her mother, Leona Roberts, was an actress best known for h ...

(produced 1933).Ades, David. 'Addinsell, Richard (Stewart)' in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001) In 1947 it was revived, starring Bambi Linn.

Career in film composition

The ''

'' was written for the 1941 film ''

'', and continues to be a popular concert and recording piece. The film-makers wanted something in the style of

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

, but were unable to persuade Rachmaninoff himself to write a piece. Roy Douglas orchestrated the concerto. It has been recorded over one hundred times and has sold in excess of three million copies. Addinsell also scored Hitchcock's ''

Under Capricorn ''Under Capricorn'' is a 1949 British historical thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a couple in Australia who started out as lady and stable boy in Ireland, and who are now bound together by a horrible secret. The film is based on ...

'' (1949), referencing Irish folk melody in the score to support the Irish characters and their history. Addinsell also wrote the short orchestral piece ''Southern Rhapsody'', which was played every morning at the start of TV broadcasts by the former

Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was co ...

company in the south of England from 1958 to 1981. As was common with film music until the 1950s, many of Addinsell's scores were destroyed by the studios as it was assumed there would be no further interest in them. However, recordings of his film music have been issued since his death, often reconstructed by musicologist and composer Philip Lane from the soundtracks of the films themselves and conducted by

Kenneth Alwyn Kenneth Alwyn (born Kenneth Alwyn Wetherell) (28 July 1925 – 10 December 2020) was a British conductor, composer, and writer. Described by BBC Radio 3 as "one of the great British musical directors", Alwyn was known for his many recordings, i ...

or Rumon Gamba.Lane, Philip (2003)
'The film music of Richard Addinsell'
(pdf). Chandos Records. Retrieved 12 September 2011.

Later career

He collaborated from 1942 with

Joyce Grenfell Joyce Irene Grenfell OBE (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo s ...

for her West End revues (including '' Tuppence Coloured'' and '' Penny Plain'') and her one-woman shows. He also wrote for West End musical revues directed by

Laurier Lister George Laurier Lister, OBE (22 April 1907 – 30 September 1986) was an English theatre writer, actor, director and producer, best known for a series of revues presented in London in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was later associated with Laurence ...

, including '' Airs on a Shoestring'' Addinsell's music is in the "English light music" style. He regularly composed at the piano, providing other creative musicians such as Roy Douglas, Leonard Isaacs or Douglas Gamley with broad indications for their full orchestrations. Orchestral works composed (or adapted) for the concert hall include ''The Invitation Waltz'' (1950), the ''Smokey Mountains Concerto'' (1950) and ''The Isle of Apples'' (1965).

Personal life

Addinsell retired from public life in the 1960s, gradually becoming estranged from his close friends. He was, for many years, the companion of the fashion designer

Victor Stiebel Victor Frank Stiebel (14 March 1907—6 February 1976) was a South African-born British couturier. A founder member of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers, he was among the top ten designers in Britain during the war and post-wa ...

, who died in 1976. Addinsell died in Brighton in 1977 aged 73. His cremation took place at

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

on 18 November 1977. His ashes are buried there in a communal section of the crocus lawn.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons, Scott Wilson

Film credits

*'' His Lordship'' (1932) *'' The Amateur Gentleman'' (1936) *''

Fire Over England ''Fire Over England'' is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the 1936 novel ''Fire Over ...

'' (1937) *'' Dark Journey'' (1937) *'' Farewell Again'' (1937) *'' South Riding'' (1938) *''

Vessel of Wrath ''Vessel of Wrath'' is a 1938 British film directed by Erich Pommer, produced by Pommer, and starring Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. It was based on the 1931 Somerset Maugham short story "The Vessel of Wrath". The film is also known as '' ...

'' (1938) *'' Goodbye Mr. Chips'' (1939) *'' The Lion Has Wings'' (1940) *'' Men of the Lightship'' (1940; documentary) *''Britain at Bay'' (1940; documentary) *''

Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...

'' (1940) *'' Gaslight'' (1940) *''W.R.N.S.'' (1941) *'' Old Bill and Son'' (1941) *''

'' (1941; containing the ''

'') *'' This England'' (1941) *'' Love on the Dole'' (1941) *''This Is Colour'' (1942; documentary) *''

The Big Blockade ''The Big Blockade'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war propaganda film in the style of dramatised documentary. It is directed by Charles Frend and stars Will Hay, Leslie Banks, Michael Redgrave and John Mills. It was produced by Michael Bal ...

'' (1942) *''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the US as ''The Avengers'', is a 1942 British war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a sc ...

'' (1942) *''The Siege of Tobruk'' (1942; documentary) *''Troop Ship'' (1942; documentary—music for song ''Hold your hats on'') *''

The New Lot ''The New Lot'' is a 1943 British drama film directed by Carol Reed and starring Eric Ambler, Robert Donat, Kathleen Harrison, Bernard Lee, Raymond Huntley, John Laurie, Peter Ustinov and Austin Trevor, with music by Richard Addinsell. It is a ...

'' (1943) *''We Sail at Midnight'' (1943; documentary) *'' A Diary for Timothy'' (1945; documentary) *'' Blithe Spirit'' (1945) *''Soldier Sailor'' (1945; documentary—music for song ''I'm going to see you today'') *'' The Passionate Friends'' (1949) *''

'' (1949) *''

The Black Rose ''The Black Rose'' is a 1950 American-British adventure film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Tyrone Power and Orson Welles. Talbot Jennings' screenplay was loosely based on a 1945 novel of the same name by Canadian author Thomas B. C ...

'' (1950) *''

Highly Dangerous ''Highly Dangerous'' is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler. It was released in the US by Lippert Pictures as ''Time Running Out''. Plot Frances Gray is as a British entomologist tryi ...

'' (1950) *'' Scrooge'' (1951) *'' Tom Brown's Schooldays'' (1951) *''

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pr ...

'' (1951) *''The Secret Cave'' (1953) *'' Sea Devils'' (1953) *''

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, bu ...

'' (1954) *'' Out of the Clouds'' (1955) *''

The Prince and the Showgirl ''The Prince and the Showgirl'' (originally titled '' The Sleeping Prince'') is a 1957 British romantic comedy film starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, who also served as director and producer. The screenplay written by Terence Rattig ...

'' (1957) *''

The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving Ernest ...

'' (1957; uncredited) *''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...

'' (1958) *'' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) *''

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' is a 1961 British romantic drama film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by José Quintero and produced by Louis de Rochemont with Lothar Wolff as associate producer. The screenplay was written by Gavin Lamb ...

'' (1961) *'' Waltz of the Toreadors'' (1962) *''

The War Lover ''The War Lover'' is a 1962 British war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 novel by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework. It stars Steve Mc ...

'' (1962) *''

Life at the Top ''Life At The Top'' is the third novel by the English author John Braine, first published in the UK by Eyre & Spottiswoode and in the US by Houghton Mifflin & Co. in 1962. It continues the story of the life and difficulties of Joe Lampton, an am ...

'' (1965) :Note: The source for the television and film appearances is the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

."Addinsell, Richard"
British Film Institute, accessed 11 February 2012

References

External links

*
Richard Addinsell
at the

website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Addinsell, Richard 1904 births 1977 deaths 20th-century British male musicians 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English composers 20th-century LGBT people Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford Alumni of the Royal College of Music English film score composers English male film score composers Light music composers LGBT classical musicians LGBT film score composers English LGBT musicians Musicians from London Musicians from Brighton and Hove