Harry Rabinowitz
Encyclopedia
Harry Rabinowitz MBE
(born March 26, 1916 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a conductor and composer of film and television music.
Harry Rabinowitz is the son of Israel Rabinowitz and Eva, née Kirkel. He was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
.
He later left Johannesburg in 1946 and went to live in England and studied conducting.
He was conductor of the BBC Revue Orchestra (1953–1960), music director for BBC Television
Light Entertainment (1960–1968), head of music for London Weekend Television
(1968–1977). He has conducted at the Hollywood Bowl
1983-1984 and also the Boston Pops Orchestra
1985-1992. He has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra
and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
. He conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke's
Ismail Merchant
and James Ivory
35th anniversary celebration at Carnegie Hall
on September 17, 1996.
He has conducted the film scores for dozens of movies including Chariots of Fire
(1981), Remains of the Day
(1993), The English Patient
(1996), and Cold Mountain
(2003). He has also composed music for television including I, Claudius
(1976) and Reilly, Ace of Spies
(1983).
He is a great believer in under-rehearsing orchestras, believing the musicians will leave smiling. A saying of his is “He never wasted his colleagues’ time”.
five months out of each year, November through March and the rest of the time in Provence
.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born March 26, 1916 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a conductor and composer of film and television music.
Harry Rabinowitz is the son of Israel Rabinowitz and Eva, née Kirkel. He was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
.
Career
His beginnings as a professional musician was six weeks at the piano in a large department store (where he performed sheet music for potential customers). He first conducted an orchestra with a rolled-up newspaper as baton from the pit for a show called “Strike a New Note” in Johannesburg in 1945.He later left Johannesburg in 1946 and went to live in England and studied conducting.
He was conductor of the BBC Revue Orchestra (1953–1960), music director for BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
Light Entertainment (1960–1968), head of music for London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
(1968–1977). He has conducted at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
1983-1984 and also the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
1985-1992. He has conducted 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:...
and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
. He conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke's
Orchestra of St. Luke's
The Orchestra of St. Luke's is an American chamber orchestra based in New York City.It was founded in the summer of 1979 at the Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, New York....
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his famously long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included director James Ivory as well as screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
and James Ivory
James Ivory (director)
James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
35th anniversary celebration at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
on September 17, 1996.
He has conducted the film scores for dozens of movies including Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
(1981), Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day (film)
The Remains of the Day is a 1993 Merchant Ivory film adapted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala from the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. It was directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, Mike Nichols and John Calley. It starred Anthony Hopkins as Stevens and Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton with James Fox,...
(1993), The English Patient
The English Patient (film)
The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
(1996), and Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain (film)
Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
(2003). He has also composed music for television including I, Claudius
I, Claudius (TV series)
I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time...
(1976) and Reilly, Ace of Spies
Reilly, Ace of Spies
Reilly, Ace of Spies is a 1983 television miniseries dramatizing the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian Jew who became one of the greatest spies to ever work for the British. Among his exploits in the early 20th century were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of...
(1983).
He is a great believer in under-rehearsing orchestras, believing the musicians will leave smiling. A saying of his is “He never wasted his colleagues’ time”.
Personal information
He has been married twice: December 15, 1944 to Lorna Thurlow (Divorced 2000) and March 18, 2001 to Mary (Mitzi) C. Scott. He has two daughters: Karen Lesley (born 1947), and Lisa Gabrielle (born 1960) and one son: Simon Oliver (born 1951). Interests include wine tasting and gathering edible fungi. He lives in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
five months out of each year, November through March and the rest of the time in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
External links
Retrieved on 2009-03-07- Q&A with Harry Rabinowitz, by Peter Korn January 18, 2008. http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120060115530703400