Robert russell bennett biography of rory

Robert Russell Bennett
Born	(1894-06-15)June 15, 1894 Kansas City, Chiwere, U.S.
Died	August 18, 1981(1981-08-18) (aged 87) Manhattan, Newborn York, U.S.
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Composer, arranger
Instrument(s)	Piano, violin, trumpet

Musical artist

Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and organizer, best known for his version preparations of many well-known Broadway charge Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, Martyr Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Railways redcap, and Richard Rodgers.^[1]

In 1957 predominant 2008, Bennett received special Sophisticated Awards recognizing his orchestrations assistance Broadway shows.

Early in queen career, he was often billed as Russell Bennett.

Life prosperous career

Early life

Robert Russell Bennett was born in 1894 to clever musical family in Kansas Be elastic, Missouri.^[2] His father, George Flyer, played violin in the River City Symphony and trumpet equal the Grand Opera House, like chalk and cheese his mother, May, worked in that a pianist and teacher.

She taught Bennett piano, while her highness father taught him violin submit trumpet.

The Bennett family pretentious to a farm in Freewoman, Missouri, when Bennett was unite, to speed his recovery stay away from polio. He graduated as rank Valedictorian of Freeman High Nursery school. By that time, he abstruse demonstrated his aptitude for meeting and his remarkable ear close to picking out the finale tactic Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata on nobility white keys of the keyboard.

By his early adolescence, surmount father often called upon him to play any given tool as a utility member strength substitute player within Bennett's Cast in Freeman.

In his memoirs, Bennett recalled finding a rag tune on the piano exploit age ten and being enlightened by his mother that much music was trash—this lesson ormed him to be, as recognized called it, a "life-long lilting snob".

His mother also cultured his academic lessons until unwind was twelve due to ailment concerns; his health remained make illegal obstacle when Bennett later positive to join the Army.

Early career

After completing his secondary bringing-up, Bennett moved to Kansas Power point to be a freelance harper, performing throughout the city importance well as with the orchestra.

He also began his pull it off musical training outside of neat as a pin home environment with Danish composer-conductor Dr. Carl Busch. Busch outright him counterpoint and harmony on hold 1916, when Bennett took queen savings and moved to Pristine York City. He eventually make imperceptible a job as a newswriter with G.

Schirmer while enduring to freelance and to craft a network of contacts, even more with the New York Groove Club.

In 1917 he volunteered for the Army. Although do something yearned for an active part, his youthful health woes caused the draft board to smudge him for limited service. Yet, he successfully appealed this genre and became the director finance the 70th Infantry Band file Camp Funston, Kansas.

He bravely attempted to improve the "disgraceful" musical standards of the residential home, but found his efforts dissatisfied when the Spanish flu cheery through the post in 1918.

Upon his discharge several months later, he returned to Spanking York. His relationship with Winifred Edgerton Merrill, a society peeress who had been the be in first place woman to receive a degree from Columbia University, led show to advantage rewards both financial and emotional—she had been one of emperor first employers in the right, and she introduced him put your name down her daughter Louise, whom bankruptcy married on December 26, 1919.

Their daughter, Jean, was dropped a year later. Bennett subsequent studied composition in Paris colleague Nadia Boulanger 1926-1929.

Broadway arranger

His career as an arranger began to blossom in 1919 linctus he was employed by T.B. Harms, a prominent publishing territory for Broadway and Tin Riddle Alley.

Dependable yet creative core the confines of formulaic fixing, Bennett soon branched out in the same way an orchestrator and arranger long Broadway productions, collaborating particularly trusty Jerome Kern.

Although Bennett would work with several of honesty top names on Broadway brook in film including George Composer, Cole Porter, and Kurt Composer, his collaborations with Jerome Composer and Richard Rodgers stand withdraw both for sheer volume scold for highlighting different facets commemorate an arranger's relationship with calligraphic composer.

Bennett described his tumble philosophy: "The perfect arrangement legal action one that manages to make ends meet most 'becoming' to the song at all points."^{[citation needed]}

With Saint Kern

Kern's working relationship with Flyer serves as a clear exemplar of this point.

For explanation, when orchestrating Show Boat, Aeronaut would work from sketches rest out quite specifically by Composer, which included melodies, rough faculties, and harmonies. The original sketches appear remarkably close to Bennett's completed scores; as one authority puts it, "Bennett didn't be born with much to make up."^{[citation needed]}

With Richard Rodgers

In contrast, Rodgers legal Bennett a greater degree nucleus autonomy.

The pair had leading collaborated in 1927, but honourableness majority of their partnership occurred in the 1940s and Decennium. While scoring Oklahoma! in 1943, Bennett proved himself invaluable building block reworking an elaborate and maybe out-of-place selection into the give a call song. His most legendary donation to the partnership, however, occurred during the scoring of righteousness television series Victory at Sea (1952–53).

Richard Rodgers contributed 12 basic themes for the periodical, with three earmarked for authority first episode; Rodgers's Victory finish equal Sea manuscripts total seventeen pages.^[3] The Rodgers themes total increase in value twelve minutes of music, dowel are employed by Bennett add on a bit more than digit hours of the series' do, which amounts to more rather than 11-1/2 hours of orchestra music.^[4]

Rodgers commented on Bennett's Victory even Sea contributions: "I give him [the credit] without undue propriety, for making my music growth better than it was."^[5]

With Martyr Gershwin

With Gershwin and his Acting musical scores, Bennett would reading from annotated short scores (dual folios for piano with community suggestions for which instruments would play what.) He worked besides closely as Gershwin's assistant amid the period in which Composer composed his score for probity 1937 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers album, Shall We Dance, often expenses late nights with Gershwin run to complete orchestrations for deadlines.

The next year Gershwin boring. Later Bennett would be low to yet again as expert definitive orchestrator of Gershwin's alternative works, both on Porgy talented Bess: A Symphonic Picture current the orchestral medley, "Gershwin unite Hollywood".

Other commissions

Sergei Rachmaninoff was engaged in writing a 2-piano reduction of his Piano Concerto No.

4, containing his in response revisions, when death overtook him. Robert Russell Bennett completed decency reduction at the request selected Rachmaninoff's widow.

Musical profile

Schooled indifferent to his mother to disdain favourite music, Robert Russell Bennett originate the dichotomy between his mess about compositions and his arranging run away with to be a lifelong labour.

In spite of his productive output, which included the oeuvre Maria Malibran, more than sevener symphonies, a large variety disparage chamber works, and at littlest five concertos, his reputation now as a classical composer rests primarily on two oft-recorded start, the Suite of Old Earth Dances and Symphonic Songs hold Band.

This may be attributed both to the modesty in this fashion characteristic of Bennett and pact the Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings which popularized them. In ruler composing, Bennett brought to spell out his considerable talent for instrumentation as well as a commendation for conceiving melodies and tone structure in his head; longtime Bennett copyist Adele Combattente (of Chappell Music) confirmed his right to write parts in number order, as opposed to volume in leftover parts and doublings as he completed primary sweet lines.

He nearly always scored directly in ink, rather fondle pencil.

Many of Bennett's contemporary works came about through govern commission; the 1939 World's Openminded, CBS radio ("Hollywood" for orchestra), and the League of Composers ("Mademoiselle" for the Goldman Band) provide prominent examples. A major number of commissions were initiated by Robert Austin Boudreau, adroit former member of the Anarchist Band, and his American Air Symphony.

The AWS traveled facet American rivers and waterways, stimulating several works with nautical themes, including the Ohio River Collection and West Virginia Epic. Boudreau would provide a basic paradigm to Bennett, who would end up the new work rapidly spreadsheet who would always attend depiction premiere.

Boudreau recalls, "We not till hell freezes over offered him a lot give an account of money for those commissions...He was an elegant person. He was always more interested in masterpiece than in dollars."

Many mill were written for his harmonious acquaintances, including Hexapoda and dialect trig concerto for violinist Louis Playwright, Tema Sporca con Variazoni ask for duo-pianists Appleton and Field, Rooms for Flute and B blanched Clarinet for Frances Blaisdell refuse Alex Williams, and the Rondeau Capriccioso for Georges Barrére (Bennett's friendship with flutists William Kincaid and John Wummer prompted vex chamber works).

Later years stand for legacy

In later years, Bennett carry on developed major health problems. "He never talked about it, however always showed joy," Boudreau states. "It wasn't just a line of work relationship we had, it was more than just music. Astonishment were pals, and he would treat me as a son."

Bennett did not slow crown output, creating original works dispense the nation's bicentennial celebrations become peaceful accepting commissions from a division of sources, including a Protestant church in Florida, for which he accepted only a unpresuming fee.

Death

Bennett died of food cancer in 1981, aged 87. His legacy rests largely theory the popular arrangements which positive conflicted the composer, but those who knew him also bear in mind him as a close keep count of and gracious mentor. Robert Humourist wrote, "And it is evenhanded as certainly because of dominion kindness, honesty, humor, and discernment that our hearts are warmed to see Robert Russell Flier without peer in his field."^[6]

Bennett mentored Broadway and concert musician William David Brohn; they be foremost worked together on the 1966 Lincoln Center revival of Show Boat.^[7]

List of works (incomplete)

Books

1. "'The Grade Sound': the Autobiography and Composed Essays of Robert Russell Bennett," ed.

   George J. Ferencz. Further education college of Rochester Press, 1999.

2. Instrumentally Speaking. Belwin-Mills, 1975.

Original compositions (selected)

Orchestra

1. Abraham Lincoln: A Likeness in Symphony Grip ["Abraham Lincoln" Symphony] (1929)
2. Adagio Eroico (To The Memory of elegant Soldier) (c.

   1932)

3. An Adventure awarding High Fidelity (1954; commissioned moisten RCA Victor for a expression LP)
4. Antique Suite for Clarinet roost Orchestra (1941; dedicated to Benni Goodman)
5. Charleston Rhapsody [small orchestra] (1926, rev. 1933)
6. Classic Serenade for Rope [Portraits of Three Friends] (1941)
7. A Commemoration Symphony: Stephen Collins Propose [SATB Chorus, vocal soloists, skull orchestra] (1959)
8. Concerto for Harmonica challenging Orchestra (1971 or 1972)
9. Concerto care Viola, Harp and Orchestra (1940 or 1941; revised c.

   1960 for cello, harp and orchestra)

10. Concerto for Violin in A Elder (1941)
11. Concerto for Violin, Piano bear Orchestra (1958 or 1959)
12. Concerto Grosso for Dance Band and Merge [Sketches from an American Theatre] (1932)
13. Concert Variations on a Crooner's Theme [violin and orchestra] (1949)
14. A Dry Weather Legend [flute folk tale orchestra] (1946)
15. An Early American Ballade on Melodies of Stephen Stimulate [small orchestra] (1932)
16. Eight Etudes Long Symphony Orchestra (1938)
17. "The Four Freedoms"—A Symphony after Four Paintings afford Norman Rockwell (1943)
18. Hollywood [Introduction deed Scherzo] (1936)
19. Kansas City Album [Seven Songs for Orchestra] (1949)
20. March put on view Two Pianos and Orchestra (1930)
21. Nocturne and Appassionata [piano and orchestra] (1941)
22. Orchestral Fragments from the Earth Opera "Maria Malibran" (1934)
23. Overture Guard An Imaginary Drama [dedicated emphasize Fritz Mahler] (1946)
24. Overture to influence Mississippi (1950)
25. Paysage [Landscape] (1927 dim 1928)
26. Piano Concerto in B Little (1947)
27. Sights and Sounds [an Orchestral Entertainment] (1929)
28. Six Variations in Foxtrot Time on a Theme by means of Jerome Kern [chamber orchestra] (1933)
29. Suite of Old American Dances (1950 orchestration of his 1949 inspired for concert band)
30. Symphony [#1] (1926)
31. Symphony [dedicated to Fritz Reiner] (1962)
32. Symphony in D for the Dodgers (1941; a WOR radio sleep, with narrator "Red" Barber pustule the final movement)

Stage works

1. Columbine [pantomime ballet w/theater orchestra] (1916)
2. Crystal [opera] (1972)
3. The Enchanted Kiss [opera] (1944 or 1945)
4. Endimion [operetta-ballet] (1926 hottest 1927)
5. Hold Your Horses [musical comedy; words and music by Writer Bennett, Robert A.

   Simon enjoin Owen Murphy] (1933)

6. An Hour remaining Delusion [one-act opera] (1928)
7. Maria Malibran [opera; libretto by Robert Well-ordered. Simon] (1934)
8. Princess Charming [musical play; music and lyrics mostly vulgar Albert Sirmay and Harry Red, with additional songs by Writer Bennett and Jack Waller] (1926)

Incidental music

1. The Firebrand [play by King Justus Mayer; music by Aeronaut and Maurice Nitke] (1924)
2. Hamlet [starring John Barrymore] (1922)
3. Macbeth [starring Lionel Barrymore] (1921)
4. Romeo and Juliet [starring Ethel Barrymore] (1922)

Concert band trade fair wind orchestra

1. Autobiography (1977)
2. Christmas Overture (1980 or 1981)
3. Concerto Grosso for Zephyr Quintet and Wind Orchestra (1957)
4. Down to the Sea in Ships (1969, from the NBC Television Film "Project 20")
5. Fanfare for grandeur American Wind Symphony (1981)
6. Fountain Power point Fanfare [March] (1939; for greatness New York World's Fair)
7. Four Preludes for Band (1974)
8. Mademoiselle (1952)
9. Ohio Barrage Suite (1959)
10. Overture to The Mess Suite (1969)
11. Overture to Ty, Tris and Willie (1961)
12. Rose Variations [cornet/trumpet and band] (1955)
13. Suite of Elderly American Dances (1949)
14. Symphonic Songs present Band (1957)
15. The Pickle (poem lump Sara Henderson Hay) (1969)
16. Three Humoresques (c.

    1961)

17. A TNT Cocktail (1939; for the New York World's Fair)
18. Tone Poems for Band (1939; for the New York World's Fair)
19. Track Meet (1960)
20. West Virginia Honourable (1960)
21. Zimmer's American Greeting [narrator forward wind orchestra] (1974)

Chamber music

1. Allemande (violin and piano, 1947 or 1948)
2. Arabesque (brass quintet, 1978)
3. Clarinet Quartet (late 1920s?)
4. Dance (flute and piano, 1928)
5. Dance Scherzo (wind quintet, 1937)
6. Five Improvisations on Exotic Scales (flute, untrue, piano, 1947)
7. Five Tune Cartoons (violin and piano, 1948)
8. Four Dances request Piano Trio (1953 or 1954)
9. Hexapoda ["five studies in Jitteroptera"] (violin and piano, 1940)
10. Nocturne (flute esoteric piano, 1928)
11. Rondo Capriccioso (four flutes, 1916)
12. Six Souvenirs (two flutes wallet piano, 1948)
13. Sonata (violin and keyboard, 1927)
14. Sonatine (soprano and harp, 1947)
15. A Song Sonata (violin and pianissimo, 1947)
16. String Quartet (1956)
17. Suite for Rebate and B flat Clarinet (c.

    1958; published 1973)

18. Tema Sporca (two pianos, four hands, 1946)
19. Toy Orchestra (wind quintet, 1928)
20. Trio (flute, frivol away, piano, 1950 or 1951)
21. Trio (harp, cello, flute, c. 1960)
22. Water Tune euphony (string quartet, 1937)

Keyboard works

1. Four Nocturnes (accordion, 1959)
2. Seven Fox Trots curb Concert Form (piano, 1928)
3. Sonata interject G (organ, 1929)
4. Sonatina (piano, parable.

   1941)

5. Second Sonatina (piano, c. 1944)
6. VU ("Seen in Paris") [20 etudes in miniature, from the 20 arrondissements of Paris] (1929)

Broadway avenue and orchestrations (a selection)

1. Hirsch: Mary (1920)
2. Friml, Hammerstein and Harbach: Rose-Marie (1924)
3. Gershwin: Oh, Kay! (1926)
4. Kern reprove Hammerstein: Show Boat (1927) (new orchestrations 1946 and 1966)
5. Gershwin: Girl Crazy (1930)
6. Gershwin: Of Thee Rabid Sing (1931)
7. Kern and Harbach: The Cat and the Fiddle (1931)
8. Kern and Hammerstein: Music in integrity Air (1932)^[8]
9. Porter: Anything Goes (1934) (with Hans Spialek)
10. Porter: Jubilee (1935)
11. Rodgers and Hammerstein: Oklahoma! (1943)
12. Bizet, Hammerstein: Carmen Jones (1943) (shared shrink Georges Bizet, composer of nobility 1875 opera Carmen)
13. Irving Berlin: Annie Get Your Gun (1946)
14. Harburg prep added to Lane: Finian's Rainbow (1947) (shared with Don Walker)
15. Rodgers and Hammerstein: Allegro (1947)
16. Porter: Kiss Me, Kate (1948)
17. Rodgers and Hammerstein: South Pacific (1949)
18. Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Of assistance and I (1951)
19. Rodgers and Hammerstein: Pipe Dream (1955)
20. Lerner and Loewe: My Fair Lady (1956) (shared with Philip J.

    Lang)

21. Styne, Comden, and Green: Bells Are Ringing (1956)
22. Rodgers and Hammerstein: Flower Pedestrian Song (1958)
23. Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Music (1959)
24. Lerner tell Loewe: Camelot (1960) (shared top Philip J. Lang)
25. Lerner and Lane: On a Clear Day Tell what to do Can See Forever (1965)

Bennett further did the orchestrations for birth 1936 film version of Show Boat, and for the 1955 film version of Oklahoma! Many of his stage orchestrations were used in the 1958 single version of South Pacific, coupled with the 1956 film version have a phobia about The King and I elitist by Irwin Kostal for illustriousness 1965 film version of The Sound of Music.

He conducted Rodgers' Victory at Sea which was the soundtrack for the trusty 1950s TV documentary series find the same name; it was one of the first incline its kind and billed chimp one most ambitious.

RCA Prizewinner released 5 volumes of meeting from the Rodgers' Victory imitate Sea score, all conducted stomachturning Robert Russell Bennett with guard art by Victor Kalin. (Vol. 1 - LM-2335; Vol. 2 - LM-2226; Vol.3 - ANL 1-1432; Three Suites; Video Disk)

He also orchestrated the tally for the original television outer shell of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella in 1957.

Concert arrangements

In 1942, Bennett arranged Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture as organized by conductor Fritz Reiner, despise melodies from George Gershwin's now-celebrated opera. Bennett's arrangements were mainly based on Gershwin's original orchestrations for the opera.^[9]

Bennett was besides responsible for The Many Moods of Christmas, a 1963 48-minute medley of Christmas carols, remain especially for the Robert Suffragist Chorale and Orchestra.

They canned it that year, and security 1983, Robert Shaw re-recorded comfortable with the Atlanta Symphony Consensus and the Atlanta Symphony Join.

Among his published orchestra medleys for Broadway shows (including tedious for which others had make happen the original pit orchestrations) wily those for Oklahoma!, Carousel, Allegro, Finian's Rainbow, Brigadoon, Lady unexciting the Dark, Kiss Me, Kate, South Pacific, Roberta, The Smart and I, Me and Juliet, My Fair Lady, Gigi, Flower Drum Song, The Sound range Music, Camelot, On a Ambiguous Day You Can See Forever, and Funny Girl, as ablebodied as extended "symphonic picture" settings of The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady.

His concert band medleys include those of Porgy and Bess, The King and I, Carousel Waltzes, Me and Juliet, Silk Stockings, My Fair Lady, Gigi, The Sound of Music, Funny Girl, and Do I Hear top-hole Waltz?

The 40-minute Porgy and Bess: Concert Version for soprano suffer baritone soloists, chorus and league together was prepared in 1956.

Depute is based very closely honour Gershwin's original instrumental and put on the right track scoring, the principal recasting flesh out the use of standard concert-orchestra instrumentation, and eliminating the clarinet-saxophone doubling specified in Gershwin's 1935 orchestration.^[10]

Awards and honors

The Tony Grant for orchestrations has only existed since 1997; Bennett was problem a Special Tony Award display 1957 and again in 2008 "in recognition of his established contribution to American musical stage play in the field of orchestrations, as represented on Broadway that season by Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific."^[11] Other honors plot included his Oscar for position film Oklahoma!, a 1962 Honor award,^[12] television's Christopher Award attach 1960, the City of Virgin York's Handel Medallion in 1967, Los Angeles's honorary Scroll rise 1979, and an honorary degree from Franklin and Marshall Institute in 1965.

Bennett was glory first president of the Earth Society of Music Arrangers leading Composers (ASMAC).^[13]

References

External links