Berkeley, Sir Lennox

Berkeley, Sir Lennox

▪ British composer
in full  Lennox Randall Francis Berkeley  
born May 12, 1903, Boars Hill, near Oxford, Oxfordshire, Eng.
died Dec. 26, 1989, London
 British composer whose works are noted for their light textures and piquant harmonies.

      Berkeley was born into a titled family. He received a B.A. (1926) from Merton College, Oxford, and then studied (1927–32) in Paris under the renowned teacher Nadia Boulanger (Boulanger, Nadia). While in Paris he met Igor Stravinsky (Stravinsky, Igor) and Francis Poulenc (Poulenc, Francis), both of whom influenced his style; Poulenc remained a lifelong friend. Berkeley returned to Britain in 1935, the year in which his first major work, the oratorio Jonah, was performed. In 1936 he met Benjamin Britten (Britten, Benjamin), with whom he collaborated on an orchestral work, Mont Juic (1937). The two composers maintained a strong professional, as well as personal, association.

      Berkeley's works are characterized by rich melodies and a flair for orchestral texture. His more notable works include the Divertimento (1943), a highly polished orchestral piece, and Piano Sonata (1945), which displays his subtle use of harmony. He is also known for his vocal music, much of it religious, such as the Stabat Mater (1947), written for Britten's English Opera Group. He wrote pieces for specific performers, such as guitarist Julian Bream and oboist Janet Craxton. He composed several operas, including Nelson (1954) and Ruth (1956). Some of his later works, including Sonatina (1962) and his Symphony No. 4 (1978), use atonality.

      He was professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music (1946–68), honorary professor of music at Keele University (1976–79), and president of the Cheltenham International Festival of Music (1977–83). He was knighted in 1974. Michael Berkeley (b. 1948), Lennox's son, was also a composer.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sir Lennox — Berkeley (composer) …   Eponyms, nicknames, and geographical games

  • Berkeley — may refer to: People * The Berkeley family of England ** Lord Berkeley (disambiguation page) ** Baron Berkeley ** Berkeley Baronets * Anthony Berkeley , a pseudonym of Anthony Berkeley Cox, writer * Busby Berkeley, film choreographer * Edmund… …   Wikipedia

  • Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley — Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (* 12. Mai 1903 in Oxford, England; † 26. Dezember 1989 in London) war ein englischer Komponist. Leben Berkeley erhielt seine Schulbildung an der Gresham s School in Norfolk und am Merton College in Oxford. 1927 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lennox Berkeley — Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (* 12. Mai 1903 in Oxford, England; † 26. Dezember 1989 in London) war ein englischer Komponist. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Werk 3 Literatur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lennox Berkeley — Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley (May 12, 1903 ndash; December 26, 1989) was an English composer. Biography He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham s School and Merton College, Oxford. In 1927, he went to… …   Wikipedia

  • Lennox Berkeley — Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley est un compositeur anglais né à Oxford (Angleterre) le 12 mai 1903 et mort à Londres le 26 décembre 1989. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Œuvres 2.1 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lennox — may refer to:*Lennox (district), an historic mormaerdom, earldom and then dukedom, in Stirling, Scotland *Lennox International, a global manufacturer of furnaces and central air conditioners.Other places around the world, named by Scottish… …   Wikipedia

  • Lennox Berkeley — Sir Lennox Berkeley, (Oxford, 12 de mayo de 1903 Londres, 26 de diciembre de 1989) fue un compositor inglés autor de obras de todos los géneros, aunque la música de cámara y la música vocal son sus predilectas. Estudió en la Escuela Gresham y en… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Lennox — m Scottish and English: from the Scottish surname and earldom, originally a local name from a district north of Glasgow formerly known as The Levenach. This was the first name borne by the composer Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903–89) …   First names dictionary

  • Sir John Tavener — John Tavener  Ne doit pas être confondu avec le compositeur anglais de la Renaissance John Taverner Sir John Tavener, né le 28 janvier 1944 à Wembley (Londres, Angleterre), est un compositeur britannique. Biographie John Tavener a fait ses… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”