Jolyon Brettingham Smith
Encyclopedia
Jolyon Brettingham Smith (born 9 September 1949 in Southampton
; died 17 May 2008 in Berlin
) was a British composer
, conductor
, performer, author
, and radio presenter, and a university teacher at the Berlin University of the Arts
.
boarding school
for children with learning difficulties. He then went on to study philosophy at the University of Cambridge
as well as musicology
and composition
at Heidelberg
and Berlin
, where he was a pupil of the Korean-born
composer Isang Yun
.
Between 1970 and 1980 he played viola
in the Gruppe Neue Musik Berlin and the NO SET Improvisation Ensemble. From 1973 until 1978 Brettingham Smith was artistic assistant professor at the Free University of Berlin
. The Bielefeld
Opera House engaged him as guest conductor for their 1975 season. In 1976 he began teaching as a full professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.
From 1978 Brettingham Smith began working as a writer and presenter for a number of public broadcasting
organizations in Germany
: he became well-known for his presentation over many years of such radio programmes as Klassikforum on WDR, Klassik zum Frühstück on RBB, and Das Musikalische Quartett on SWR
. His presentation was marked by a profound historical and technical expertise, for which his activities as university teacher, composer, and performer (as viola player) stood him in good stead. His humorous and occasionally self-mocking style earned Brettingham Smith great affection and esteem among his listeners.
Brettingham Smith lived with his wife and six children in the Spandau
district of Berlin. He was famous for his early rising, beginning his day at 3.00 and reckoning the hours between then and 7.00 to be the best for composition.
His major compositions – which have been rewarded with a number of international prizes – include four opera
s and numerous works for orchestra and musical theatre, as well as chamber music, vocal works, film music, and the musical settings for radio plays.
Jolyon Brettingham Smith died in Berlin on 17 May 2008 immediately after concluding his Jolyon Live - The English Connection radio programme on Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg (RBB).
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
; died 17 May 2008 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) was a British composer
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...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, performer, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and radio presenter, and a university teacher at the Berlin University of the Arts
Berlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...
.
Life and work
Brettingham Smith's first employment, after he left school in 1966, was as a teacher at a LondonLondon
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...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for children with learning difficulties. He then went on to study philosophy at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
as well as musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he was a pupil of the Korean-born
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
composer Isang Yun
Isang Yun
Isang Yun was a Korean-German composer originally from Korea. According to his official publisher's Boosey & Hawkes biography of him, he was granted political asylum by West Germany, eventually becoming a naturalised German citizen, following his abduction and torture in 1967 by the South Korean...
.
Between 1970 and 1980 he played viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
in the Gruppe Neue Musik Berlin and the NO SET Improvisation Ensemble. From 1973 until 1978 Brettingham Smith was artistic assistant professor at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
. The Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
Opera House engaged him as guest conductor for their 1975 season. In 1976 he began teaching as a full professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.
From 1978 Brettingham Smith began working as a writer and presenter for a number of public broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
organizations in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
: he became well-known for his presentation over many years of such radio programmes as Klassikforum on WDR, Klassik zum Frühstück on RBB, and Das Musikalische Quartett on SWR
Südwestrundfunk
The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
. His presentation was marked by a profound historical and technical expertise, for which his activities as university teacher, composer, and performer (as viola player) stood him in good stead. His humorous and occasionally self-mocking style earned Brettingham Smith great affection and esteem among his listeners.
Brettingham Smith lived with his wife and six children in the Spandau
Spandau
Spandau is the fifth of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is the fourth largest and westernmost borough, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and along the western bank of the Havel, but the least populated.-Overview:...
district of Berlin. He was famous for his early rising, beginning his day at 3.00 and reckoning the hours between then and 7.00 to be the best for composition.
His major compositions – which have been rewarded with a number of international prizes – include four opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and numerous works for orchestra and musical theatre, as well as chamber music, vocal works, film music, and the musical settings for radio plays.
Jolyon Brettingham Smith died in Berlin on 17 May 2008 immediately after concluding his Jolyon Live - The English Connection radio programme on Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg (RBB).
Compositions
Published works by Brettingham Smith include:- Sonetto per Organo – for organ – op. 3 (1972)
- Songs for a Fool on Baile's Strand – for contralto and ensemble – op. 4 (1972)
- O Rise – for ensemble – op. 6 (1973)
- The Ruins of Time – for five percussion instruments – op. 9 (1974)
- The Death of Cuchulain – opera in one act – op. 5 (1975)
- Wind in the Reeds – five sketches for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon – op. 12 (1975)
- Dancing Days – for soprano and chamber orchestra – op. 13 (1975)
- Two Times Past – two pieces for flute and harp – op. 18 (1977)
- The Doors of Perception – for flute and four percussion instruments – op. 30 (1982)
- Approaches to Dun Aengus – for cello and orchestra – (1985)
External links
- Questionnaire completed by Brettingham-Smith on RBB Kulturradio website (archived, German)
- Obituary on SWR2SüdwestrundfunkThe Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
website (German) - „Tee, Wein, Dampfmaschinen, Musik. Die Briten und die "Industrielle Revolution" “, a 5-part series presented by Brettingham Smith on SWR2 in September 2006 (Tea, wine, steam engines, music. The British and the "industrial revolution") (German)