Richard Stewart Addinsell (13 January 190414 November 1977) was an English composer, best known for film music, primarily his '' Warsaw Concerto'', composed for the 1941 film ''

Dangerous Moonlight ''Dangerous Moonlight'' (U.S. title: ''Suicide Squadron'') is a 1941 British film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anton Walbrook. The film is perhaps best known for its score, written by Richard Addinsell and orchestrated by Ro ...

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

Biography

Early life

Richard Addinsell was born in Woburn Square, 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 colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main ga ...

, 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 (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

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

Noel Gay Reginald Moxon Armitage (15 July 1898 – 4 March 1954) known professionally as Noel Gay. was a British composer of popular music of the 1930s and 1940s whose output comprised 45 songs as well as the music for 28 films and 26 London shows. She ...

, among others, in an ''

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

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

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

on ''Adam's Opera'' at

The Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was 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 ...

. 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 as th ...

for the Broadway adaptation of the combined ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' and '' Through the Looking Glass'' by

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 theatre, Broadway star by age 21, in 1926 she left Broadway behind to found the Fourteenth St ...

, starring

Josephine Hutchinson Josephine Hutchinson (October 12, 1903 – June 4, 1998) was an American actress. She acted in dozens of theater plays and dozens of films, including ''Son of Frankenstein'' and ''North by Northwest'', as well as numerous television appearances ...

(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 '' Warsaw Concerto'' 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 Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...

, 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'' (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. However, in 1966, during the application pr ...

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 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, including with the Lo ...

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 (''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 show ...

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 ''Airs on a Shoestring'' was a British musical revue, first staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 22 April 1953. Described as "an intimate revue", the show was devised and directed by Laurier Lister. Cast members included Max Adrian, Madel ...

'' Addinsell's music is in the "English light music" style.Lamb, Andrew (2002)
'British light music: sound good, feel good'
''Gramophone'' November 2002, pp.34–38. Retrieved 13 September 2011. 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, who died in 1976. Addinsell died in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

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 is one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £136,000 in 2021), ...

on 18 November 1977.>Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 508-509). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition. His ashes are buried there in a communal section of the crocus lawn.

Film credits

*'' His Lordship'' (1932) *'' The Amateur Gentleman'' (1936) *'' Fire Over England'' (1937) *'' Dark Journey'' (1937) *'' Farewell Again'' (1937) *'' South Riding'' (1938) *'' Vessel of Wrath'' (1938) *'' Goodbye Mr. Chips'' (1939) *''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda film, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film ...

'' (1940) *'' Men of the Lightship'' (1940; documentary) *''Britain at Bay'' (1940; documentary) *''

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

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

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

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

'' (1942) *''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the USA 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 ...

'' (1942) *''The Siege of Tobruk'' (1942; documentary) *''Troop Ship'' (1942; documentary—music for song ''Hold your hats on'') *'' The New Lot'' (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) *'' Under Capricorn'' (1949) *'' The Black Rose'' (1950) *'' Highly Dangerous'' (1950) *'' Scrooge'' (1951) *''

Tom Brown's Schooldays ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is a novel by Thomas Hughes, published in 18 ...

'' (1951) *'' Encore'' (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 he was the arbiter of British men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King ...

'' (1954) *'' Out of the Clouds'' (1955) *'' The Prince and the Showgirl'' (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 Scotland, Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving E ...

'' (1957; uncredited) *''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author 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 impr ...

'' (1958) *'' The Greengage Summer'' (1961) *'' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' (1961) *'' Waltz of the Toreadors'' (1962) *'' The War Lover'' (1962) *'' Life at the Top'' (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 filmmaking 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 English classical musicians 20th-century English male composers 20th-century English LGBTQ people Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford Alumni of the Royal College of Music Composers from London English film score composers English LGBTQ composers English light music composers English male film score composers LGBTQ classical composers LGBTQ film score composers LGBTQ people from London Musicians from Brighton and Hove