Lennox Berkeley
Encyclopedia
Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (12 May 190326 December 1989) was an English
composer
.
, Gresham's School
and Merton College, Oxford
. His father was Hastings George Fitzhardinge Berkeley, a captain in the Royal Navy
and illegitimate son of George Lennox Rawdon Berkeley, 7th Earl of Berkeley (1827-1888).
In 1927, he went to Paris to study music with Nadia Boulanger
, and there he became acquainted with Francis Poulenc
, Igor Stravinsky
, Darius Milhaud
, Arthur Honegger
and Albert Roussel
. Berkeley also studied with Maurice Ravel
, often cited as a key influence in Berkeley's technical development as a composer. The French influence would continue to be felt in his music.
He worked for the BBC
during the Second World War, and later became president of the Performing Rights Society.
He enjoyed a long association with Benjamin Britten
, another old boy of Gresham's School
, with whom he collaborated
on a number of works; these included Mont Juic, and Variations on an Elizabethan Theme
(the latter also with four other composers).
He was also often associated with the pianist Colin Horsley
, who commissioned the Horn Trio and some piano pieces, and gave the first performances and/or made the premier recordings of a number of his works, including the Piano Concerto.
He held the chair of Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music
from 1946 to 1968, and his pupils there included Richard Rodney Bennett
, David Bedford
and John Tavener
. In later years, his adoption of serialism
marked a darker and more brooding style.
He was knighted in 1974. His eldest son, Michael Berkeley
, is also a composer. His youngest son is the photographer Nick Berkeley
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
.
Biography
He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon SchoolDragon School
The Dragon School is a British coeducational, preparatory school in the city of Oxford, founded in 1877 as the Oxford Preparatory School, or OPS. It is primarily known as a boarding school, although it also takes day pupils...
, Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
and Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. His father was Hastings George Fitzhardinge Berkeley, a captain in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and illegitimate son of George Lennox Rawdon Berkeley, 7th Earl of Berkeley (1827-1888).
In 1927, he went to Paris to study music with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
, and there he became acquainted with Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
, Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
, Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
, Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
and Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
. Berkeley also studied with Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, often cited as a key influence in Berkeley's technical development as a composer. The French influence would continue to be felt in his music.
He worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
during the Second World War, and later became president of the Performing Rights Society.
He enjoyed a long association with Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, another old boy of Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, with whom he collaborated
Classical music written in collaboration
In classical music, it is relatively rare for a work to be written in collaboration by multiple composers. This contrasts with popular music, where it is common for more than one person to contribute to the music for a song...
on a number of works; these included Mont Juic, and Variations on an Elizabethan Theme
Variations on an Elizabethan Theme
Variations on an Elizabethan Theme is a set of variations for string orchestra, written collaboratively in 1952 by six English composers: Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten, Arthur Oldham, Humphrey Searle, Michael Tippett and William Walton...
(the latter also with four other composers).
He was also often associated with the pianist Colin Horsley
Colin Horsley
Colin Horsley OBE is a New Zealand classical pianist and teacher who has been based in the United Kingdom all his working life. He had a significant artistic association with the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley.-Biography:...
, who commissioned the Horn Trio and some piano pieces, and gave the first performances and/or made the premier recordings of a number of his works, including the Piano Concerto.
He held the chair of Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
from 1946 to 1968, and his pupils there included Richard Rodney Bennett
Richard Rodney Bennett
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...
, David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
and John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
. In later years, his adoption of serialism
Serialism
In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...
marked a darker and more brooding style.
He was knighted in 1974. His eldest son, Michael Berkeley
Michael Berkeley
Michael Berkeley is a British composer and broadcaster on music.-Early life:His father was the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley...
, is also a composer. His youngest son is the photographer Nick Berkeley
Nick Berkeley
Nick Berkeley is an English photographer, film maker and writer. He was born in London in 1956, the youngest son of the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley and brother of Michael Berkeley, the composer and broadcaster.- Life and work :...
.
Career highlights
- 1926 - began lessons with Nadia BoulangerNadia BoulangerNadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
- 1936 - met Britten at ISCM Festival in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
- 1946 - appointed Professor of Composition at London’s Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
- 1954 - premiere of his first opera Nelson at Sadler’s Wells
- 1974 - knighted for Services to Music
- 1977-83 - President of Cheltenham FestivalCheltenham FestivalThe Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
.
Opera
- NelsonNelson (opera)Nelson is an opera in 3 acts by Lennox Berkeley to a libretto by Alan Pryce-Jones. The opera centres on the love affair of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson and Emma, Lady Hamilton. Completed in 1951, it was first performed in full in 1954.-Background:...
, (1951) - A Dinner Engagement, Op. 45 (1954)
- Ruth, Op. 50 (1955-6)
Orchestral
- Serenade, for string orchestra (1938-9)
- Symphony No. 1 (1936-40)
- Divertimento (1943)
- Piano Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 29 (1947-8)
- Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Op. 30 (1948)
- Symphony No. 2Symphony No. 2 (Berkeley)Lennox Berkeley composed his Symphony No. 2 in 1958. The work was commissioned by the City of Birmingham Symphony, who premiered it under Andrzej Panufnik in February 1959...
(1958, revised 1976) - Symphony No. 3, in one movement (1968-9)
- Sinfonia Concertante, for oboe and chamber orchestra (1972-3)
- Voices of the Night, Op. 86 (1973)
- Guitar Concerto, Op. 88
- Symphony No. 4 (1977-8)
Choral
- A Festival Anthem, Op. 21, No. 2 (1945)
- Crux fidelis, Op. 43, No. 1 (1955)
- Look up, sweet babe, Op. 43, No. 2 (1955)
- Missa Brevis, Op. 57 (1960)
- Mass for five voices, Op. 64 (1964)
- Three Latin Motets, Op. 83, No. 1 (1972)
- The Lord is my shepherd, Op. 91, No. 1 (1975)
- Magnificat and Nunc dimittis, Op. 99 (1980)
Solo Vocal
- Four Poems of St Teresa of Ávila, Op. 27, for contralto and string orchestra (1947)
- Three Greek Songs, Op. 38 (1953)
- Five Poems by W. H. Auden, Op. 53
Chamber
- String Quartet No. 1, Op. 6
- String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15
- String Quartet No. 3, Op. 76
- Sonata in D Minor for Viola and Piano, Op.22 (1946)
- Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano, Op. 44 (1952)
- Sextet for Clarinet, Horn and String Quartet, Op. 47 (1954)
- Duo for Cello and Piano
- Sonatine for Flute and Piano
Piano
- Three Pieces, Op. 2 (1935)
- Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 20 (1941-5)
- Six Preludes, Op. 23 (1945)
- Three Mazurkas, Op. 31 No. 1 (1939-49)
Guitar
- Quatre pièces pour la guitare (1928)
- Sonatina, Op. 52, No. 1 (1957)
- Theme and Variations, Op. 77 (1970)
Selected recordings
- A Dinner Engagement - Chandos CHAN10219
- Missa Brevis - Naxos 8.557277
- Serenade for Strings - Chandos CHAN 9981