Albert Arlen
Encyclopedia
Albert Arlen AM was a Turkish Australian pianist, composer
, actor and playwright. He is best known for his musical The Sentimental Bloke (to the poetry of C. J. Dennis
), the "Alamein Concerto", and his setting of Banjo Paterson
’s Clancy of the Overflow
.
in 1905 to Turkish
immigrants. He was educated at Cleveland Street Public School and Crown Street High School. He studied at the New South Wales State Conservatorium
(graduated in 1924) and the École Normale de Musique de Paris
. He then worked in London
where he played various roles in West End
repertory productions, as well as writing his own musical compositions and plays such as The Son of the Grand Eunuch (January 1937). He was known professionally as Albert Arlen and legally changed his name in 1948.
In 1939, he joined the Royal Air Force
as a pilot, serving in the Middle and Far East. These experiences inspired a concerto for piano and orchestra, which he called the "Alamein Concerto". This was first performed in Cairo
in 1944, with pianist Phil Finch and conductor Hugo Rignold
. It was recorded by Monia Liter with the Mantovani
Orchestra. Pathé
used the music in their documentary on the anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein
. After the war Arlen was sent to Singapore
, and wrote musical revues which were seen in Singapore, Hong Kong
, Malaya
and Ceylon
.
Albert Arlen married actress, singer and playwright Nancy Brown in 1949. Nancy was born in Brisbane
in 1909 and moved to England at the age of 14, after her parents’ divorce. She appeared in such musicals as Old Chelsea with Richard Tauber
.
. Together, they started writing The Sentimental Bloke around 1950, to C. J. Dennis
's The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
. Initially they sought the involvement of George Johnston
, who showed little interest. Later, the actor Lloyd Thomson was brought on board as writer. Albert and Nancy went to England in 1955 to promote the show. This was unsuccessful so they returned to Australia, borrowed some money, put together an amateur cast, and staged the show themselves in March 1961 in the Albert Hall
in Canberra. (A ballet with the same name, choreographed by Lauren Martyn with music by John Tallis had premiered in Melbourne in 1952. This was withdrawn shortly after its premiere since Albert Arlen owned the rights to stage representations of Dennis’s works.) The show had a one-week run in Canberra, which was so popular that extra seating in the aisles had to be arranged. J. C. Williamson
’s directors Sir Frank Tait and John McCallum
attended the final performance and decided to sponsor it for a further six-week season at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne
(from 4 November 1961), directed by John Young. This was later extended to five months. The roles of The Bloke, Doreen and Rose of Spadger’s Lane were played by Edwin Ride, Patsy Hemingway and Gloria Dawn respectively. It eventually ran for over a year in Adelaide
, Brisbane
, Sydney
and New Zealand
. The show was turned into another ballet, with Arlen’s music freely arranged by John Lanchbery
and choreography by Robert Ray, which the Australian Ballet staged in 1985 in Australia, and presented on their tour of the Soviet Union
.
The Girl from the Snowy (Riverside Theatre, Canberra, 17 March 1960) and Marriages Are Made in Heaven, two other musicals, failed to have the success of The Sentimental Bloke. Arlen also wrote some songs and piano pieces.
The songs Clancy of the Overflow
and The Rivetter were recorded by Peter Dawson, the former in a best-selling recording made on 4 May 1955, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Charles Mackerras
.
In 1991 Nancy Brown Arlen published her autobiography "The Black Sheep of the Brown family: A Magic Life!".
Albert Arlen died on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
, in 1993.
in January 1990.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, actor and playwright. He is best known for his musical The Sentimental Bloke (to the poetry of C. J. Dennis
C. J. Dennis
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century...
), the "Alamein Concerto", and his setting of Banjo Paterson
Banjo Paterson
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, OBE was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales where he spent much of his childhood...
’s Clancy of the Overflow
Clancy of the Overflow
"Clancy of The Overflow" is a poem by Banjo Paterson, first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 21 December 1889. The poem is typical of Paterson, offering a romantic view of rural life, and is one of his best-known works.-History:...
.
Biography
Albert Aarons was born in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1905 to Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
immigrants. He was educated at Cleveland Street Public School and Crown Street High School. He studied at the New South Wales State Conservatorium
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
(graduated in 1924) and the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
. He then worked in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he played various roles in West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
repertory productions, as well as writing his own musical compositions and plays such as The Son of the Grand Eunuch (January 1937). He was known professionally as Albert Arlen and legally changed his name in 1948.
In 1939, he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a pilot, serving in the Middle and Far East. These experiences inspired a concerto for piano and orchestra, which he called the "Alamein Concerto". This was first performed in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in 1944, with pianist Phil Finch and conductor Hugo Rignold
Hugo Rignold
Hugo Henry Rignold was an English conductor and violinist, who is best remembered as Musical Director of the Royal Ballet and conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ....
. It was recorded by Monia Liter with the Mantovani
Mantovani
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani known as Mantovani, was an Anglo-Italian conductor and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book British Hit Singles & Albums states that he was "Britain's most successful album act before The Beatles .....
Orchestra. Pathé
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
used the music in their documentary on the anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
. After the war Arlen was sent to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and wrote musical revues which were seen in Singapore, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and Ceylon
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Albert Arlen married actress, singer and playwright Nancy Brown in 1949. Nancy was born in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in 1909 and moved to England at the age of 14, after her parents’ divorce. She appeared in such musicals as Old Chelsea with Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".-Early life:...
.
The Sentimental Bloke
Albert and Nancy returned to Australia, living in CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. Together, they started writing The Sentimental Bloke around 1950, to C. J. Dennis
C. J. Dennis
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century...
's The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke is a verse novel by Australian novelist and poet C. J. Dennis. The book sold over 60,000 copies in nine editions within the first year, and is probably one of the highest selling verse novels ever published in Australia....
. Initially they sought the involvement of George Johnston
George Johnston (novelist)
George Johnston OBE was an Australian journalist, war correspondent and novelist, best known for My Brother Jack. His second wife and literary collaborator was Charmian Clift.-Life:...
, who showed little interest. Later, the actor Lloyd Thomson was brought on board as writer. Albert and Nancy went to England in 1955 to promote the show. This was unsuccessful so they returned to Australia, borrowed some money, put together an amateur cast, and staged the show themselves in March 1961 in the Albert Hall
Albert Hall, Canberra
The Albert Hall is a hall in Canberra, Australia, used for entertainment. It is on Commonwealth Avenue between Commonwealth Bridge and the Hotel Canberra in the suburb of Yarralumla.- Overview :...
in Canberra. (A ballet with the same name, choreographed by Lauren Martyn with music by John Tallis had premiered in Melbourne in 1952. This was withdrawn shortly after its premiere since Albert Arlen owned the rights to stage representations of Dennis’s works.) The show had a one-week run in Canberra, which was so popular that extra seating in the aisles had to be arranged. J. C. Williamson
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson was an American actor and later Australia's foremost theatrical manager, founding J. C. Williamson Ltd....
’s directors Sir Frank Tait and John McCallum
John McCallum (actor)
John Neil McCallum, AO, CBE was an Australian theatre and film actor. He was also a television producer.McCallum was born in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1918, son of theatre owner and entrepreneur John Neil McCallum Sr., who built and for many years ran the 2,000 seat Cremorne Theatre on the banks of...
attended the final performance and decided to sponsor it for a further six-week season at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(from 4 November 1961), directed by John Young. This was later extended to five months. The roles of The Bloke, Doreen and Rose of Spadger’s Lane were played by Edwin Ride, Patsy Hemingway and Gloria Dawn respectively. It eventually ran for over a year in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The show was turned into another ballet, with Arlen’s music freely arranged by John Lanchbery
John Lanchbery
John Arthur Lanchbery OBE was an English, later Australian, composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements.-Life:...
and choreography by Robert Ray, which the Australian Ballet staged in 1985 in Australia, and presented on their tour of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The Girl from the Snowy (Riverside Theatre, Canberra, 17 March 1960) and Marriages Are Made in Heaven, two other musicals, failed to have the success of The Sentimental Bloke. Arlen also wrote some songs and piano pieces.
The songs Clancy of the Overflow
Clancy of the Overflow
"Clancy of The Overflow" is a poem by Banjo Paterson, first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 21 December 1889. The poem is typical of Paterson, offering a romantic view of rural life, and is one of his best-known works.-History:...
and The Rivetter were recorded by Peter Dawson, the former in a best-selling recording made on 4 May 1955, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
conducted by Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
.
In 1991 Nancy Brown Arlen published her autobiography "The Black Sheep of the Brown family: A Magic Life!".
Albert Arlen died on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
, in 1993.
Honours and awards
For his "service to music and the performing arts," Albert Arlen was appointed a Member of the Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in January 1990.
List of works
- "Alamein Concerto" (piano and orchestra, 1944)
- "Ballad for Australians" (words Arlen and John Barnes)
- "The Austr-laise (fellers of Australia)" (vocal march for military band, c. 1961)
- "Bring back the Simple Faith" (song; lyrics by Harold Simpson, 1937)
- "A Celtic Romance" (c. 1965)
- "Clancy of the OverflowClancy of the Overflow"Clancy of The Overflow" is a poem by Banjo Paterson, first published in The Bulletin, an Australian news magazine, on 21 December 1889. The poem is typical of Paterson, offering a romantic view of rural life, and is one of his best-known works.-History:...
" (1948) - "Elise-oh! Go-go! (with apologies to BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
)" (c. 1966) - "The Girl from the Snowy" (musical; lyrics by Arlen; c. 1960)
- "Go to sleep, little baby" (waltz lullaby, words John WheelerJohn WheelerJohn Wheeler may refer to:* John Wheeler , American Emmy Award-winning audio/video engineer* John Wheeler , Union officer in the Civil War; killed at Gettysburg* John Wheeler John Wheeler may refer to:* John Wheeler (audio/video technologist) (born 1957), American Emmy Award-winning audio/video...
, c. 1948) - "God remembers every-thing" (words Kathleen Egan; c. 1935)
- "I heard a blackbird in a tree" (words Bruce Sievier; 1935)
- "Many things I have loved" (words Arlen; c. 1965)
- "Marriages are Made in Heaven" (musical)
- "My life is a love song" (words Bruce Sievier; 1936)
- "Night club: an atmospheric impression" (piano; c. 1946)
- "The Pagoda of Jade" suite (orchestrated by Denis Wright)
- "Requiem for a Siamese Cat: inspired by the poem of the same name" (piano; 1965)
- "The Rivetter" (song; baritone and orchestra; words Bruce Sievier; c. 1937)
- The Sentimental Bloke (based on the poems of C. J. DennisC. J. DennisClarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century...
; book by Nancy Brown and Lloyd Thomson; lyrics by Nancy Brown, Albert Arlen, Lloyd Thomson and C.J. Dennis; music by Albert Arlen. 1961) - "Song of Canberra"
- "The Song of England" (soprano, chorus and orchestra)
- "Spinnakers: a sketch of Sydney HarbourPort JacksonPort Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
" (piano; 1970) - "Suzette, my dolly, and me" (words Harry Hemsley; c. 1938)
- "Your Voice"