Muir Mathieson
Encyclopedia
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor
and composer
. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.
, Scotland
in 1911. After attending Stirling High School
, he went to the Royal College of Music
in London. In the 1930s he became head of the music department for Alexander Korda
at Denham Film Studios
; Mathieson being one of only three heads of Departments at London Films
who were British. His first work was as an uncredited Musical Assistant on the 1933 film, The Private Life of Henry VIII
.
Mathieson told Korda that he did not wish to be a composer but wished to choose first rate composers and arrange and conduct their scores. Composer James Bernard called him the "Tsar of music for British films. If you wanted to write music for for films at that time you had to be 'in' with Muir". Mathieson wanted to show the world Great Britain had composers of renown and "wanted to see British musical genius exploited throughout the world and recognised by other countries.
During his wartime service with the Ministry of Information, Mathieson is credited with commissioning film scores from Arthur Bliss
, William Walton
, Ralph Vaughan Williams
and Malcolm Arnold
.
Jointly with the composer of the score for the 1953 film Genevieve
- the harmonica
player Larry Adler
- Mathieson was nominated for an Academy Award, in his capacity as Musical Director. Under fierce pressure from the House Un-American Activities Committee
, the composer's name was reluctantly omitted from the list of nominees. Mathieson's name as Musical Director (not as composer) went forward. Many years later, Adler's name as composer was restored to the list by the Academy.
Mathieson was also musical director on films with scores composed by others, most notably on Alfred Hitchcock
's Vertigo
in 1958, where he conducted Bernard Herrmann
's score, later releasing an album of the music with the Sinfonia of London
. In the year of Vertigo alone he is credited with musical directorship of 28 films. Overall he is said to have conducted the music for over a thousand British films. Due to the requirements of what constituted a British film for the Eady Levy
, Mathieson's name was credited alongside non English composers.
He married the ballet dancer Hermione Darnborough
(1915–2010), whom he met in 1935 while conducting Hiawatha
at the Royal Albert Hall
in London. They had four children, including the actress Fiona Mathieson (1951–87). His father-in-law, William Nelson Darnborough
, was a successful roulette
player at Monte Carlo
from 1904-11.
From the late 1960s until his death, he conducted the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra.
Mathieson was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 1970. The day before he went for a throat operation, he conducted the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra. He never regained consciousness after the operation and died at the John Radcliffe Hospital
, Oxford
on 2 August 1975.
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...
and 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...
. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.
Career
Mathieson was born in StirlingStirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1911. After attending Stirling High School
Stirling High School
Stirling High School is a state high school for 11-18 year olds run by Stirling Council in Stirling, Scotland. It is one of seven high schools in the Stirling district, and currently has approximately 972 pupils attending...
, he went to 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...
in London. In the 1930s he became head of the music department for Alexander Korda
Alexander Korda
Sir Alexander Korda was a Hungarian-born British producer and film director. He was a leading figure in the British film industry, the founder of London Films and the owner of British Lion Films, a film distributing company.-Life and career:The elder brother of filmmakers Zoltán Korda and Vincent...
at Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios
Denham Film Studios were a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952.The studios were founded by Alexander Korda, on a 165 acre site near the village of Denham, Buckinghamshire. At the time it was the largest facility of its kind in the UK, but it was merged with Rank's Pinewood...
; Mathieson being one of only three heads of Departments at London Films
London Films
London Films is a British film production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda originally based at London Film Studios in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. The company's productions included The Private Life of Henry VIII , Things to Come , Rembrandt , The Four Feathers , The Thief of Bagdad ...
who were British. His first work was as an uncredited Musical Assistant on the 1933 film, The Private Life of Henry VIII
The Private Life of Henry VIII
The Private Life of Henry VIII is a 1933 film about Henry VIII, King of England. It was written by Lajos Biró and Arthur Wimperis, and directed by Sir Alexander Korda.Charles Laughton won the 1933 Academy Award as Best Actor for his performance as Henry...
.
Mathieson told Korda that he did not wish to be a composer but wished to choose first rate composers and arrange and conduct their scores. Composer James Bernard called him the "Tsar of music for British films. If you wanted to write music for for films at that time you had to be 'in' with Muir". Mathieson wanted to show the world Great Britain had composers of renown and "wanted to see British musical genius exploited throughout the world and recognised by other countries.
During his wartime service with the Ministry of Information, Mathieson is credited with commissioning film scores from Arthur Bliss
Arthur Bliss
Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, CH, KCVO was an English composer and conductor.Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army...
, William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
and Malcolm Arnold
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
.
Jointly with the composer of the score for the 1953 film Genevieve
Genevieve (film)
Genevieve is a 1953 British comedy film produced and directed by Henry Cornelius and written by William Rose. It starred John Gregson, Dinah Sheridan, Kenneth More and Kay Kendall as two couples comedically involved in a vintage automobile rally...
- the harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player Larry Adler
Larry Adler
Lawrence "Larry" Cecil Adler was an American musician, widely acknowledged as one of the world's most skilled harmonica players. Composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Malcolm Arnold, Darius Milhaud and Arthur Benjamin composed works for him...
- Mathieson was nominated for an Academy Award, in his capacity as Musical Director. Under fierce pressure from the House Un-American Activities Committee
House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
, the composer's name was reluctantly omitted from the list of nominees. Mathieson's name as Musical Director (not as composer) went forward. Many years later, Adler's name as composer was restored to the list by the Academy.
Mathieson was also musical director on films with scores composed by others, most notably on Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Vertigo
Vertigo (film)
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
in 1958, where he conducted Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
's score, later releasing an album of the music with the Sinfonia of London
Sinfonia of London
The Sinfonia of London is a session orchestra based in London, England. Muir Mathieson, the director of music for Rank Films, founded the ensemble in 1955 specifically for the recording of film music...
. In the year of Vertigo alone he is credited with musical directorship of 28 films. Overall he is said to have conducted the music for over a thousand British films. Due to the requirements of what constituted a British film for the Eady Levy
Eady levy
The Eady Levy was a tax on box office receipts in the United Kingdom, intended to support the British film industry and named for Sir Wilfred Eady. It was established in 1957 and terminated in 1985.- Background :...
, Mathieson's name was credited alongside non English composers.
He married the ballet dancer Hermione Darnborough
Hermione Darnborough
Hermione Maria Louise Darnborough , later Hermione Mathieson, was an English principal ballerina who made her name at Sadler's Wells in the 1930s...
(1915–2010), whom he met in 1935 while conducting Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha (Coleridge-Taylor)
The Song of Hiawatha, Op. 30, is a trilogy of cantatas by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, produced between 1898 and 1900. The first part, Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, was particularly famous for many years and it made the composer's name known throughout the world.-Background:In 1898, Coleridge-Taylor was...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London. They had four children, including the actress Fiona Mathieson (1951–87). His father-in-law, William Nelson Darnborough
William Nelson Darnborough
William Nelson Darnborough from Bloomington, Illinois was known for his success in roulette at Monte Carlo from 1904 to 1911. During that time period he amassed a fortune of $415,000...
, was a successful roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
player at Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
from 1904-11.
From the late 1960s until his death, he conducted the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra.
Mathieson was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 1970. The day before he went for a throat operation, he conducted the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra. He never regained consciousness after the operation and died at the John Radcliffe Hospital
John Radcliffe Hospital
The John Radcliffe Hospital is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England.It is the main teaching hospital for Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University. As such, it is a well-developed centre of medical research. It also incorporates the Medical School of the University of Oxford....
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
on 2 August 1975.
Selected filmography
- Action for SlanderAction for SlanderAction for Slander is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Clive Brook, Ann Todd and Googie Withers. An army officer is falsely accused at cheating at cards by a man whose wife he had an affair with and struggles to clear his name...
(1937) - London 1942 (1943)
Biography
- Hetherington, S. (2006) Muir Mathieson: A Life in Film Music, Scottish Cultural Press, ISBN 1-898218-11-0