Brian Easdale
Encyclopedia
Brian Easdale was a British composer.
Easdale was born in Manchester
, England. He was educated at Westminster Abbey School
and the Royal College of Music
.
For the opera house and the concert hall, his works include the operas Rapunzel
(1927), The Corn King (1935, not performed until November 1950) and The Sleeping Children
(1951). His orchestral works included Five pieces for orchestra, Six Poems, and Tone Poem. For choir, Easdale wrote the Missa Coventrensis.
Easdale also composed film and theatre music. He worked for the General Post Office (G.P.O.) Film Unit, on films such as Big Money (1937), Job in a Million (1937) and Men in Danger (1939). His film scores included several for Michael Powell
and Emeric Pressburger
, including Black Narcissus
(1947) and The Red Shoes (1948). He was the first British composer to win an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score, for his music for The Red Shoes.
A CD of some of Easdale's film music was released in January 2011. Recorded in 2010 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the BBC National Chorus of Wales. The CD includes the full ballet from The Red Shoes (from the original score, complete with Ondes Martenot
), it also includes music from Black Narcissus
and Gone to Earth
.
Easdale was born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. He was educated at Westminster Abbey School
Westminster Abbey Choir School
Westminster Abbey Choir School is a British boarding preparatory school and the only school in the United Kingdom exclusively for the education of boy choristers. It is located in Dean's Yard, by Westminster Abbey...
and the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
.
For the opera house and the concert hall, his works include the operas Rapunzel
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698...
(1927), The Corn King (1935, not performed until November 1950) and The Sleeping Children
The Sleeping Children
The Sleeping Children is a marble sculpture by Francis Chantrey. The statue depicts Ellen-Jane and Marianne Robinson asleep in each others arms on a bed...
(1951). His orchestral works included Five pieces for orchestra, Six Poems, and Tone Poem. For choir, Easdale wrote the Missa Coventrensis.
Easdale also composed film and theatre music. He worked for the General Post Office (G.P.O.) Film Unit, on films such as Big Money (1937), Job in a Million (1937) and Men in Danger (1939). His film scores included several for Michael Powell
Michael Powell (director)
Michael Latham Powell was a renowned English film director, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger...
and Emeric Pressburger
Emeric Pressburger
Emeric Pressburger was a Hungarian-British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in a multiple-award-winning partnership known as The Archers and produced a series of classic British films, notably 49th Parallel , The...
, including Black Narcissus
Black Narcissus
Black Narcissus is a 1947 film by the British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the novel of the same name by Rumer Godden...
(1947) and The Red Shoes (1948). He was the first British composer to win an Academy Award for Best Original Music Score, for his music for The Red Shoes.
A CD of some of Easdale's film music was released in January 2011. Recorded in 2010 by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the BBC National Chorus of Wales. The CD includes the full ballet from The Red Shoes (from the original score, complete with Ondes Martenot
Ondes Martenot
The ondes Martenot , also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales, is an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot. The original design was similar in sound to the theremin...
), it also includes music from Black Narcissus
Black Narcissus
Black Narcissus is a 1947 film by the British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the novel of the same name by Rumer Godden...
and Gone to Earth
Gone to Earth (film)
Gone to Earth is a film by the British-based director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Jennifer Jones, David Farrar and Cyril Cusack and features Esmond Knight. The film was significantly changed for the American market by David O...
.
Sources
- Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music by Michael KennedyMichael Kennedy (music critic)Dr. George Michael Sinclair Kennedy CBE is an English biographer, journalist and writer on classical music. He joined the Daily Telegraph at the age of 15 in 1941, and began writing music criticism for it in 1948...
(Fourth Edition) – ISBN 0-19-280037-X
External links
- Brian Easdale biography on MusicWeb