Richard Rodney Bennett
Richard Rodney Bennett
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBEwas an English composer of film, TV and concert music, and also a jazz pianist. He was based in New York City from 1979 until his death there in 2012...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth29 March 1936
chords composer tall
I just scribbled away and eventually a C-major chord was there. I didn't ever decide I was going to be a composer. It was like being tall. It's what I was. It's what I did.
albeit parts seemed time
The different parts of my career seemed to take part in different rooms, albeit in the same house. It was just the way things were and I didn't actually think much about it at the time.
encouragement school games
I was a catastrophe at Science and Games, but the good thing about Quaker schools is that they encourage you in those subjects for which you show an aptitude.
nice writing play
I wanted to write music, and cook, and play cards, and have a nice time.
people firsts pieces
People ask what was the first piece of music I wrote. There was no first piece.
musical quests enjoyed
Being on a musical quest was something I always enjoyed.
teaching play want
I hated teaching composition. I was playing music I didn't particularly want to play, being on committees I didn't want to be on.
hearing firsts first-time
When I came across something I liked, I wanted to find out as much as I could about it. This was as true of hearing Hoagy Carmichael for the first time as it was later when I first heard Boulez.
writing want strings
I realized very early that I was never going to make by living by writing string quartets. But I wanted to write music and I didn't want to have to do anything else.
encouragement firsts pieces
Elizabeth Lutyens was the first professional composer that I ever knew. I sent someextremely infantile pieces that I I'd written and got marvellous encouragement andinterest from her... she's certainly the English composer who's influenced me themost.
age proud able
I am proud to be able to claim that, from the age of nineteen, I've managed to earna living entirely as a composer.