Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (29 March 193624 December 2012) was an English composer of film, TV and concert music, and also a jazz pianist and occasional vocalist. He was based in New York City from 1979 until his death there in 2012.

Zachary Woolfe Zachary Woolfe is an American music critic who specializes in classical music. Since 2022 he has been chief classical music critic for ''The New York Times''. Education and career Woolfe studied at Princeton University. Although he "had wr ...

"Richard Rodney Bennett, British Composer, Dies at 76"
''New York Times'', 30 December 2012

Life and career

Bennett was born at Broadstairs, Kent, but was raised in Devon during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. His mother, Joan Esther, née Spink (1901–1983) was a pianist who had trained with

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

and sang in the first professional performance of ''

The Planets ''The Planets'', Op. 32, is a seven- movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1917. In the last movement the orchestra is joined by a wordless female chorus. Each movement of the suite is name ...

''. His father, Rodney Bennett (1890–1948), was a children's book author, poet and lyricist, who worked with

Roger Quilter Roger Cuthbert Quilter (1 November 1877 – 21 September 1953) was a British composer, known particularly for his art songs. His songs, which number over a hundred, often set music to text by William Shakespeare and are a mainstay of the E ...

on his theatre works and provided new words for some of the numbers in the ''

Arnold Book of Old Songs The ''Arnold Book of Old Songs'' is a collection of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and French folk songs and traditional songs, with new piano accompaniments by Roger Quilter. Quilter dedicated it to and named it after his nephew Arnold Guy Viv ...

''. Bennett was a pupil at

Leighton Park School Leighton Park School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Reading in South East England. The school's ethos is closely tied to the Quaker values, having been founded as a Quaker School in 1890. The school's ...

. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Music with

Howard Ferguson George Howard Ferguson, PC (June 18, 1870 – February 21, 1946) was the ninth premier of Ontario, from 1923 to 1930. He was a Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1905 to 1930 who represented the eastern provinci ...

Lennox Berkeley Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (12 May 190326 December 1989) was an English composer. Biography Berkeley was born on 12 May 1903 in Oxford, England, the younger child and only son of Aline Carla (1863–1935), daughter of Sir James Char ...

and

Cornelius Cardew Cornelius Cardew (7 May 193613 December 1981) was an English experimental music composer, and founder (with Howard Skempton and Michael Parsons) of the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental performing ensemble. He later rejected experimental music, ...

. Ferguson regarded him as extraordinarily brilliant, having perhaps the greatest talent of any British composer in his generation, though lacking in a personal style. During this time, Bennett attended some of the Darmstadt summer courses in 1955, where he was exposed to serialism. He later spent two years in Paris as a student of the prominent serialist Pierre Boulez between 1957 and 1959. He always used both his first names after finding another Richard Bennett active in music. Bennett taught at the Royal Academy of Music between 1963 and 1965, at the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, United States from 1970 to 1971, and was later International Chair of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music between 1994 and the year 2000. He was appointed a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) in 1977, and was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ed in 1998. Bennett produced over 200 works for the concert hall, and 50 scores for film and television. He was also a writer and performer of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

songs for 50 years. Immersed in the techniques of the European

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

via his contact with Boulez, Bennett subsequently developed his own dramato-abstract style. In his later years, he adopted an increasingly tonal idiom. Bennett regularly performed as a jazz pianist, with such singers as Cleo Laine,

Marion Montgomery Marion Montgomery (November 17, 1934 – July 22, 2002)

(until her death in 2002),

Mary Cleere Haran Mary Cleere Haran (May 13, 1952 - February 5, 2011) was an American singer known for her work as a cabaret artist. Her skills in performing popular music and jazz enabled her to entertain audiences with either genre or a combination of the two. ...

(until her death in 2011), and more recently with Claire Martin, performing the

Great American Songbook The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes. Definition According to the Great American Songbook Foundation: The "Great American Songbook" i ...

. Bennett and Martin performed at such venues as The Oak Room at the

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwin Starrett for the Puritan Realty Company. The hotel has hosted numer ...

in New York, and

The Pheasantry The Pheasantry, 152 King's Road, Chelsea, London, is a Grade II listed building that was home to a number of important figures in 1960s London and a small music venue in the 1970s where a number of bands were able to play their first gigs. Early ...

and

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...

in London. In later years, in addition to his musical activities, Bennett became known as an artist working in the medium of collage. He exhibited these collages several times in England, including at the Holt Festival, Norfolk in 2011, and at the Swaledale Festival, Yorkshire, in 2012. The first exhibition of his collages was in London in 2010, at the South Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Centre, curated by the Nightingale Project, a charity that takes music and art into hospitals. Bennett was a patron of this charity. Bennett is honoured with four photographic portraits in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London. Bennett was homosexual and in 1995

Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...

nominated him as one of the most influential homosexuals in music. Anthony Meredith's biography of Bennett was published in November 2010. Bennett is survived by his sister Meg (born 1930), the poet M. R. Peacocke, with whom he collaborated on a number of vocal works. Bennett's cremated remains are buried in Section 112, Plot 45456 at

Green-wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several blo ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. His grave is marked by a grey granite headstone.

Music

Despite his early studies in

modernist Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

techniques, Bennett's tastes were eclectic. He wrote in a wide range of styles, including

, for which he had a particular fondness. Early on, he began to write music for feature films. He said that it was as if the different styles of music that he was writing went on 'in different rooms, albeit in the same house'. Later in his career the different aspects all became equally celebrated – for example in his 75th birthday year (2011), there were numerous concerts featuring all the different strands of his work. At the BBC Proms for example his ''Murder on the Orient Express Suite'' was performed in a concert of film music, and in the same season his ''Dream Dancing'' and '' Jazz Calendar'' were also featured. Also at the

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadi ...

, London, on 23 March 2011 (a few days before his 75th birthday), a double concert took place in which his

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

-inspired piece ''Sonata After Syrinx'' was performed in the first concert, and in the Late Night Jazz Event which followed, Bennett and Claire Martin performed his arrangements of the Great American Songbook (Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart and so on). See also Tom Service's appreciation of Bennett's music published in ''The Guardian'' in July 2012.

Film and television scores

He wrote music for films and television; among his scores were the '' Doctor Who'' story ''

The Aztecs The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

'' (1964) for television, and the feature films ''

Billion Dollar Brain ''Billion Dollar Brain'' is a 1967 British espionage film directed by Ken Russell and based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Len Deighton. The film features Michael Caine as secret agent Harry Palmer, the anti-hero protagonist. The "b ...

'' (1967), ''

Lady Caroline Lamb Lady Caroline Lamb (née Ponsonby; 13 November 1785 – 25 January 1828) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and novelist, best known for ''Glenarvon'', a Gothic novel. In 1812 she had an affair with Lord Byron, whom she described as "mad, bad, and ...

'' (1972) and '' Equus'' (1977). His scores for '' Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1967), ''

Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay written by James Goldman and Edward Bond, based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name, which is a partia ...

'' (1971), and ''

Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...

'' (1974), each earned him

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations, with ''Murder on the Orient Express'' gaining a BAFTA award. Later works include '' Enchanted April'' (1992), ''

Four Weddings and a Funeral ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It is the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant, and follows the adventures of Charles (Grant) and his circle ...

'' (1994), and ''

The Tale of Sweeney Todd ''The Tale of Sweeney Todd'' is a 1997 American Crime film, crime-drama film, drama/horror film, horror television film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Ben Kingsley and Joanna Lumley. The Screenplay, teleplay by Peter Buckman was adapte ...

'' (1998). He was also a prolific composer of orchestral works, piano solos, choral works and operas. Despite this eclecticism, Bennett's music rarely involved stylistic crossover.

Selected works

Instrumental works

*Sonata for piano (1954, first published work) *Impromptus (for guitar) (1968) *Viola Concerto (1973). Commissioned by the

Northern Sinfonia Royal Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne and currently based in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history, the orchestra gave most of its concerts at the Newcastle City Hall. Since 2004, the ...

for Roger Best. *Concerto for alto saxophone *''Scena II'' (for solo cello; commissioned by the Music Department of the University College of North Wales, Bangor, with funds from Welsh Arts Council, first performed by Judith Mitchell 25 April 1974 *''Concerto for Stan Getz'' (tenor saxophone, timpani & strings) (1990) *''Dream Sequence'' for cello and piano – first performed in December 1994 at the

, London by

Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme. Early years and education Julian ...

and John Lenehan *''Elegy for Davis'' *Harpsichord Concerto (1980). Premiere conducted by

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Richard Rodney Bennett, harpsichord. *''Fanfare'' for brass quintet (2012) *''Farnham Festival Overture'' (1964) for orchestra *''The Four Seasons'' (1991) for Symphonic Wind Ensemble *''A Little Suite'', based on selections from Rodney Bennett's song cycles ''The Insect World'' and ''The Aviary''. *''Morning Music'' for wind band * ''Music for Strings'' *''Over the Hills and Far Away'' for piano 4 hands (1991) *''Party Piece'' for orchestra *''Reflections on a Sixteenth Century Tune'' for string orchestra or double wind quintet (1999) *Sonata for solo guitar (1983) *Sonatina for solo clarinet *''Summer Music'' for flute and piano *Symphony No. 1 (1965) *Symphony No. 2 (1968). Commissioned by the

New York Philharmonic Orchestra The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

*Symphony No. 3 (1987) *Marimba Concerto (1988) *Percussion Concerto (1990). Commissioned by and first performed at St Magnus Festival, Orkney, soloist Dame

Evelyn Glennie Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. Early life Glennie was born in Methlick, Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The in ...

, 1990 *Trumpet Concerto for trumpet and wind orchestra *''Partridge Pie'' based on The Twelve Days of Christmas *''After Syrinx I'' for oboe and piano *''After Syrinx II'' for solo marimba *''Lilliburlero'' ''Variations for 2 pianos'' (2008) commissioned by the Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation in Miami

Operas

*'' The Ledge'' (libretto by Adrian Mitchell) – 1961 *'' The Midnight Thief'' (libretto by

Ian Serraillier Ian Serraillier (24 September 1912 – 28 November 1994) was an English novelist and poet. He retold legends from England, Greece and Rome and was best known for his children's books, especially '' The Silver Sword'' (1956), a wartime adventure s ...

) – 1964 *''

The Mines of Sulphur ''The Mines of Sulphur'' is an opera in three acts by Richard Rodney Bennett, his first full-length opera, composed in 1963. Beverley Cross wrote the libretto, based on his play ''Scarlet Ribbons'', at the suggestion of Colin Graham, who eventual ...

'' (libretto by

Beverley Cross Alan Beverley Cross (13 April 1931 – 20 March 1998) was an English playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Early life Born in London into a theatrical family, and educated at the Nautical College Pangbourne, Cross started off by writ ...

) – 1965 *'' A Penny for a Song'' – 1967 *''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'' (libretto by Beverley Cross) – 1968 *''

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...

'' (libretto by Beverley Cross) – 1970

Ballet

*'' Jazz Calendar'' – 1968 *''

Isadora Isidora or Isadora is a female given name of Greek origin, derived from Ἰσίδωρος, ''Isídōros'' (a compound of Ἶσις, ''Ísis'', and δῶρον, ''dōron'': "gift of he goddessIsis"). The male equivalent is Isidore. The name surviv ...

'' – 1981

Choral and vocal works

* ''Nonsense'' (chorus and piano duet) a setting of the seven poems by

Mervyn Peake Mervyn Laurence Peake (9 July 1911 – 17 November 1968) was an English writer, artist, poet, and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the '' Gormenghast'' books. The four works were part of what Peake conceived ...

– 1984 *''A Good-Night'' – 1999 *''Missa Brevis'' – 1990 *''Sea Change'' – 1983 *''Spells'', written for soprano Jane Manning *''Five Carols: There is No Rose, Out of Your Sleep, That Younge Child, Sweet was the Song, Susanni'' Written for St Matthew's Church Northampton – 1967 *''On Christmas Day to My Heart'', written in 1998 for the

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Nine Lessons and Carols, also known as the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, is a service of Christian worship traditionally celebrated on or near Christmas Eve. The story of the fall of humanity, the ...

King's College Chapel, Cambridge King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bu ...

in 1999. *''The Garden – A Serenade to Glimmerglass'', commissioned by Nicholas Russell for

Glimmerglass Opera The Glimmerglass Festival (formerly known as Glimmerglass Opera) is an American opera company. Founded in 1975 by Peter Macris, the Glimmerglass Festival presents an annual season of operas at the Alice Busch Opera Theater on Otsego Lake eight ...

in honour of Stewart Robertson for its Young American Artists Program – 2006 * ''The Birds Lament'' * "Tom o' Bedlam's Song" (voice and cello)1961

Albums

Solo: *2007 "Richard Rodney Bennett: Words And Music" (Chandos) *2002 Take Love Easy (Audiophile) *1995 A Different Side of Sondheim (DRG) *1994 Harold Arlen's Songs (Audiophile) *1992 "I Never Went Away" (Delos) with

Marion Montgomery Marion Montgomery (November 17, 1934 – July 22, 2002)

*1977 ''Surprise Surprise'' *1978 ''Town and Country'' *1984 '' Puttin' On the Ritz'' with Carol Sloane (singer) *1988 '' Lush Life'' *1989 ''Love You Madly'' (Contemporary) with Chris Connor (singer) *1991 ''Classic'' (Contemporary) *1991 ''New Again'' (Contemporary) with Mary Cleere Haran (singer) *1995 ''This Funny World: Mary Cleere Haran Sings Lyrics By Hart'' (Varèse Sarabande) *1998 ''Pennies From Heaven: Movie Songs From The Depression Era'' (Angel Records) *1999 ''The Memory Of All That: Gershwin On Broadway and In Hollywood'' (2011 reissue) *2002 ''Crazy Rhythm: Manhattan in the 20s'' (Varèse Sarabande) with Claire Martin *2005 '' When Lights Are Low'' *2010 ''

Witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

'' *2013 ''Say It Isn't So'' Opera *2005 ''The Mines of Sulphur'' (Chandos) Orchestral *1968 Symphony No. 1 (with works by Bax and Berkeley) – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,

Igor Buketoff Igor Konstantin Buketoff (29 May 19157 September 2001) was an American conductor, arranger and teacher. He had a special affinity with Russian music and with Sergei Rachmaninoff in particular. He also strongly promoted British contemporary musi ...

(RCA) *1972 ''Jazz Calendar'' / Piano Concerto –

Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich Stephen Kovacevich (born October 17, 1940) is an American classical pianist and conductor. He is particularly celebrated for his recordings of works by Beethoven, Bartók and Schubert, and is known for technical skill, clarity of playing and an ...

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

, Alexander Gibson (Philips) *1979 ''Spells'' / ''Aubade'' – Jane Manning, Philharmonia Orchestra,

David Willcocks Sir David Valentine Willcocks, (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambr ...

David Atherton David Atherton (born 3 January 1944) is an English conductor and founder of the London Sinfonietta. Background Atherton was born in Blackpool, Lancashire into a musical family. He was educated at Blackpool Grammar School. His father, Robert ...

(Argo) *1995 ''Partita'' / ''Four Jazz Songs'' / ''Enchanted April Suite'' – Britten Sinfonia,

Nicholas Cleobury Nicholas Cleobury (born 23 June 1950) is an English conductor. Cleobury was organ scholar at Worcester College, Oxford, conductor of Schola Cantorum of Oxford and held assistant organist posts at Chichester Cathedral and Christ Church, Oxford b ...

, the composer, Neil Richardson (BBC) *1996 ''Diversions'' / Symphony No. 3 / Concerto for Violin and Orchestra – Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra,

James DePreist James Anderson DePreist (November 21, 1936 – February 8, 2013) was an American conductor. DePreist was one of the first African-American conductors on the world stage. He was the director emeritus of conducting and orchestral studies at T ...

(Koch) *2017 ''Bennett: Orchestral Works , Vol 1 (Celebration; Marimba Concerto; Symphony No. 3; Summer Music; Sinfonietta)'' – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson (Chandos) *2018 ''Bennett: Orchestral Works , Vol 2 (Concerto for Stan Getz; Symphony No. 2; Serenade; Partita)'' – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson (Chandos) *2019 ''Bennett: Orchestral Works, Vol 3 (Symphony No. 1; A History of the Dansant; Reflections on a 16th Century Tune; Zodiac)'' – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson (Chandos) *2020 ''Bennett: Orchestral Works, Vol 4 (Aubade; Piano Concerto; Anniversaries; Country Dances, Book One, Troubadour Music)'' – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, John Wilson (Chandos) Choral *1999 ''Stuff and Nonsense'' (Astounding Sounds for

London Oriana Choir The London Oriana Choir is a choral group comprising around 120 singers, based in London, England. It was formed in 1973 by Leon Lovett, who acted as conductor and musical director. David Drummond became the choir's musical director in 1996, and Dom ...

) *2013 ''Letters to Lindbergh'' (Signum UK) *2013 ''Sea Change: Choral Music of Richard Rodney Bennett'' – The

Cambridge Singers The Cambridge Singers is an English mixed voice chamber choir formed in 1981 by their director John Rutter with the primary purpose of making recordings under their own label Collegium Records. The group initially comprised former singers from ...

, the composer and

John Rutter John Milford Rutter (born 24 September 1945) is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music. Biography Born on 24 September 1945 in London, the son of an industrial chemist and his wife, Rutte ...

(Collegium Records)

Selected TV and filmography

* '' Pickup Alley'' (1957) * ''

Face in the Night ''Face in the Night'' is a 1957 British crime film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Griffith Jones, Lisa Gastoni and Vincent Ball. It was based on the novel ''Suspense'' by prolific crime writer Bruce Graeme. The film was released in th ...

'' (1957) * '' The Safecracker'' (1958) * '' Indiscreet'' (1958) * '' The Man Inside'' (1959) * ''

The Man Who Could Cheat Death ''The Man Who Could Cheat Death'' is a 1959 British horror film, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, and Christopher Lee. Jimmy Sangster adapted the screenplay from the play '' The Man in Half Moon Street'' b ...

'' (1959) * '' The Angry Hills'' (1959) * '' Chance Meeting'' (1959) * '' The Devil's Disciple'' (1959) * '' The Mark'' (1961) * ''

Only Two Can Play ''Only Two Can Play'' is a 1962 British comedy film starring Peter Sellers, based on the 1955 novel '' That Uncertain Feeling'' by Kingsley Amis. Sidney Gilliat directed the film from a screenplay by Bryan Forbes. The film is set in the fiction ...

'' (1962) * ''

Satan Never Sleeps ''Satan Never Sleeps '' (also known as ''The Devil Never Sleeps'') is a 1962 American drama romance war film directed by Leo McCarey, his final film, in which he returns to the religious themes of his classics '' Going My Way'' (1944) and ''The Be ...

'' (1962) * ''

The Wrong Arm of the Law ''The Wrong Arm of the Law'' is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr. It was partly written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and made by Ro ...

'' (1963) * ''

Heavens Above! ''Heavens Above!'' is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge. It is in a similar vein to the earlier collab ...

'' (1963) * '' Billy Liar'' (1963) * ''

Hamlet at Elsinore ''Hamlet at Elsinore'' is a 1964 television version of the c. 1600 play by William Shakespeare. Produced by the BBC in association with Danish Radio, it was shown in the U.S. on NET. Winning wide acclaim both for its performances and for being sh ...

'' (1964) (TV) * '' One Way Pendulum'' (1964) * ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction ...

'' (1964–1967) (TV, 3 episodes) * ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

'' (1965) * '' The Witches'' (1966) * '' Far from the Madding Crowd'' (1967) ( nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score) * ''

'' (1967) * ''

Secret Ceremony ''Secret Ceremony'' is a 1968 British drama-thriller film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum. Plot Leonora, a middle-aged prostitute, is despondent over the death of her daughter. Cenci, a lo ...

'' (1968) * ''

The Buttercup Chain ''The Buttercup Chain'' is a 1970 British drama film directed by Robert Ellis Miller and starring Hywel Bennett, Jane Asher, and Leigh Taylor-Young. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of the 1967 novel ...

'' (1970) * ''

Figures in a Landscape ''Figures in a Landscape'' was Barry England's first novel. Published by Jonathan Cape in the summer of 1968, it was hailed by critics as an exemplary addition to the literature of escape. Two professional soldiers, Ansell and MacConnachie, hav ...

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1971) ( nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score (Dramatic)) * ''

'' (1973) * '' Voices'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) ( nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score) * ''

Permission to Kill ''Permission to Kill'', also known as ''The Executioner'', is a 1975 spy thriller film made by Sascha-Verleih and distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures. It was directed by Cyril Frankel and produced by Paul Mills from a screenplay by Robin Es ...

'' (1975) * ''

Sherlock Holmes in New York ''Sherlock Holmes in New York'' is a 1976 American made-for-television mystery film about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, played by Roger Moore and Patrick Macnee respectively. Despite the film's title the production was shot entirely in So ...

'' (1976) (TV) * '' The Accuser'' aka L'Imprécateur (1977) * '' Equus'' (1977) * ''

The Brink's Job ''The Brink's Job'' is a 1978 American crime comedy drama film directed by William Friedkin and starring Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Allen Garfield, Warren Oates, Gena Rowlands, and Paul Sorvino. It is based on the Brink's robbery of 1950 in Bos ...

'' (1978) * ''

Yanks ''Yanks'' is a 1979 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn and Tony Melody. The film is set during the Second World War in Northern England and features no combat scen ...

'' (1979) * ''

The Return of the Soldier ''The Return of the Soldier'' is the debut novel of English novelist Rebecca West, first published in 1918. The novel recounts the return of the shell shocked Captain Chris Baldry from the trenches of the First World War from the perspective ...

'' (1982) * ''Knockback'' (1984) (TV) * ''

The Ebony Tower ''The Ebony Tower'' (1974) by John Fowles is a collection of five novellas and short stories with interlacing themes, each built around a medieval myth: ''The Ebony Tower,'' ''Eliduc'', ''Poor Koko'', ''The Enigma'' and ''The Cloud''. Plot s ...

'' (1984) (TV) * ''

Murder with Mirrors ''Murder with Mirrors'' is a 1985 British-American television film starring Helen Hayes (in her final film role) and Bette Davis. It is based on Agatha Christie's novel '' They Do It with Mirrors'', using the novel's American title. The novel has ...

'' (1985) (TV) * ''

Tender is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young p ...

'' (1985) (TV mini-series) * '' Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story'' (1987) (TV) * '' The Charmer'' (1987) (TV mini-series) * ''

American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Overview It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever an ...

'' (1988) (TV, 1 episode) * '' The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank'' (1988) (TV) * '' Enchanted April'' (1991) * ''

'' (1994) * ''Swann'' (1996) * ''

'' (1997) (TV) * '' Gormenghast'' (2000) (TV mini-series)

References

External links

Biography and list of works, published by Novello & Company Ltd

Richard Rodney Bennett
biography and works on the UE website * *
Conversation between Richard Rodney Bennett and Claire Martin
– British Library sound recording

by Bruce Duffie, 25 March 1988
Richard Rodney Bennett
at ''Epdlp'' (Spanish)
Appearance on Desert Island Discs, 19 October 1997
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Richard Rodney 1936 births 2012 deaths 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers LGBT classical composers LGBT film score composers LGBT jazz composers Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English opera composers Male opera composers British ballet composers English film score composers English male film score composers English jazz composers Male jazz composers English classical composers English male classical composers Knights Bachelor Composers awarded knighthoods Light music composers Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery People educated at Leighton Park School People from Broadstairs Pupils of Lennox Berkeley Musicians from Kent 20th-century English composers 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century British male musicians 20th-century jazz composers 21st-century jazz composers