MOVIE MUSIC UK

Composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett died on December 24, 2012, in New York, where he had lived since 1979. He was 76.

Bennett was born in Broadstairs, Kent, in March 1936, the son of novelist and lyricist Rodney Bennett, and singer/pianist Joan Bennett. His mother had trained with Gustav Holst and sang in the first professional performance of The Planets. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Howard Ferguson and Lennox Berkeley, and later in Paris with the avant-garde composer Pierre Boulez.

Bennett was best known to international audiences for his work in film and television, having composed more than fifty scores over the course of his career. He earned Academy Award nominations for Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), and Murder on the Orient Express (1974), the latter of which contained a lavish orchestral suite evoking 1930s glamour and intrigue, and which remains one of his most celebrated. Other notable works include Lady Caroline Lamb (1973), Equus (1977), Enchanted April (1991), the smash hit comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), and the score for prestige BBC production of Gormenghast in 2000, which was one of his last major media commissions.

Though his film and television work brought him wide recognition, Bennett maintained a steady output of concert music throughout his life. His works include a significant number of operas, symphonies, chamber pieces, and vocal music, often commissioned by major British and American ensembles. He was also an accomplished jazz pianist and cabaret performer, recording and appearing in concert with artists such as Claire Martin and Marian Montgomery.

Later in life, he divided his time between London and New York, where he became a fixture in both musical and theatrical circles. His live performances, often featuring standards by Gershwin, Porter, and Berlin, showcased not just his pianistic skill but his deep affection for the Great American Songbook.

Bennett was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1977 and was knighted in 1998 for services to music. He is survived by a sister and a wide circle of friends and collaborators.