Alan Rawsthorne

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Alan Rawsthorne (born May 2, 1905 in Haslingden , Lancashire , † July 24, 1971 in Cambridge ) was an English composer . He has created numerous musical works for the concert hall and British cinema.

life and work

After professional attempts in the fields of dentistry and architecture, Rawsthorne finally decided to study music in Manchester and Berlin . From 1932 to 1934 he was a music teacher at Dartington Hall School , and then devoted himself entirely to composition.

The artistic breakthrough came with Theme and Variations for two violins (1938) and Symphonic Studies for orchestra (1939). Other successful works by Rawsthornes were a viola sonata (1937), two piano concertos (1939, 1951), an oboe concert (1947), two violin concertos (1948, 1956), a concert for orchestra (1949), and the Elegy for guitar (1971), which was written for Julian Bream and completed by him after the composer's death. His works also include a cello concerto, three recognized string quartets and other chamber music , as well as three symphonies (1950, dedicated to the Royal Philharmonic Society ; 1959; 1964). In terms of style, Rawsthorne's works are close to neoclassicism .

Since the 1940s, numerous film scores have been made for British cinema, such as: 1946 Das gefangene Herz (The Captive Heart) for Basil Dearden and School for Secrets for Peter Ustinov , 1951 Pandora and the Flying Dutchman for Albert Lewin , 1952 The Great Atlantic (The Cruel Sea) for Charles Frend or 1956: the man Who never was (the man Who never was) for Ronald Neame .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Rawsthorne, Alan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English composer
DATE OF BIRTH May 2, 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Haslingden , Lancashire
DATE OF DEATH July 24, 1971
Place of death Cambridge