Anthony Vincent Benedictus Collins (3 September 1893 – 11 December 1963) was a British composer and conductor. He scored around 30 films in the US and the UK between 1937 and 1954, and composed the British light music classic Vanity Fair in 1952. His Decca recordings of the seven Sibelius symphonies was the second cycle by a single conductor and orchestra released.[1]
Collins was born in Hastings, East Sussex, in 1893. At the age of seventeen he began to perform as violinist in the Hastings Municipal Orchestra. He then served four years in the army. Beginning in 1920 he studied violin with Achille Rivarde and composition with Gustav Holst at the Royal College of Music.[2]
In 1926, he began his musical career performing as principal viola in the London Symphony Orchestra. For ten years he performed in that orchestra and also in the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra. He resigned these positions in 1936. For the rest of his career he divided his time between conducting, beginning with opera and moving to orchestra; and composition.[3] His conducting debut was on 20 January 1938, when he led his former colleagues in the London Symphony Orchestra in Elgar's First Symphony, and the following year he founded the London Mozart Orchestra.
He moved to the United States in 1939 to conduct orchestras in Los Angeles and New York City as well as composing film music for RKO Pictures. He was nominated for three Academy Awards for best music and original score in three consecutive years (1940, 1941 and 1942) for Nurse Edith Cavell, Irene and Sunny. He returned to England in 1945, continuing to conduct the major British orchestras and also compose for British film studios. He retired at the end of the 1950s, returning to Los Angeles, where he died at the age of 70 in 1963.[4]
CompositionsEdit
Collins arranged and composed works in many genres, but it is the lighter pieces that are still known today.[5] Most notable of these is Vanity Fair (1952).[6] Various miniatures, suites and film music extracts by Collins have been recorded.[7] Of the film music, there is a five movement suite taken from his first score, Victoria the Great (1937). Having established himself in Hollywood during the war, he returned to the UK and scored a series of high profile British films, many of them starring Anna Neagle, such as Piccadilly Incident (1946), The Courtneys of Curzon Street (1947) and Odette (1950).[8]
Four one-act operas - Perseus and Andromeda, Catherine Parr, The Blue Harlequin and Kanawa - were composed in the early 1930s for the Royal College of Music. Eire (1938) is a suite of Irish folksong arrangements. Louis XV Silhouettes (1939) is a suite of pastiche 18th-century dance movements. His 1942 Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar, is based on a theme from the slow movement of Elgar's third symphony.[9] Collins also compiled the Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action (1944) from sketches left by Michael Heming, a young composer killed in World War II.[10][11] There are also chamber works and songs.[1]
Many of his more ambitious works have been lost. These include the last two of the four string symphonies, two violin concertos (the first only surviving in the version published for violin and piano), Romney Marsh for viola and orchestra (1944) and the cantata The Lay of Rosabelle.[8] Others, such as the tone poem Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, only exist as historical recordings.[12]
RecordingsEdit
Collins conducted a series of classical recordings, notably of music of Elgar and Sibelius, for Decca Records and EMI. His Decca Kingsway Hall recordings made between 1952 and 1955 of the seven Sibelius symphonies (the second complete cycle with a single orchestra and conductor) and some of the tone poems were very highly regarded.[13] He recorded with Decca from May 1945 to December 1956.[14][15]
Selected worksEdit
The Lay of Rosabelle, choral cantata (1932)
Catherine Parr, opera after a play by Maurice Baring (1930s)
Perseus and Andromeda, opera (1930s)
The Blue Harlequin, opera (1930s)
Kanawa, opera (1930s)
Topley Pike, pastoral (1937)
Eire, suite (1938)
Louis XV Silhouettes, suite (1939)
Symphony No. 1 for strings (1940)
Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar (1942)
Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, overture (1942)
Romney Marsh, viola and orchestra (1944)
Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action (1944), from sketches left by Michael Heming
The Song of Erin: Lamentation, cor anglais and orchestra (1946)
The Willow Pattern Plate, ballet (1946)
Symphony No. 2 for strings (Hallé/Barbirolli Cheltenham Festival 7 July 1950)
Valse Lente, orch. Harry Dexter, extracted from Odette (1950)
Prelude and Valse Variations, extracted from The Lady with a Lamp (1951)
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Anthony Vincent Benedictus Collins 3 September 1893 11 December 1963 was a British composer and conductor He scored around 30 films in the US and the UK between 1937 and 1954 and composed the British light music classic Vanity Fair in 1952 His Decca recordings of the seven Sibelius symphonies was the second cycle by a single conductor and orchestra released 1 Contents 1 Biography 2 Compositions 3 Recordings 4 Selected works 5 Film music 5 1 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External linksBiography EditCollins was born in Hastings East Sussex in 1893 At the age of seventeen he began to perform as violinist in the Hastings Municipal Orchestra He then served four years in the army Beginning in 1920 he studied violin with Achille Rivarde and composition with Gustav Holst at the Royal College of Music 2 In 1926 he began his musical career performing as principal viola in the London Symphony Orchestra For ten years he performed in that orchestra and also in the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra He resigned these positions in 1936 For the rest of his career he divided his time between conducting beginning with opera and moving to orchestra and composition 3 His conducting debut was on 20 January 1938 when he led his former colleagues in the London Symphony Orchestra in Elgar s First Symphony and the following year he founded the London Mozart Orchestra He moved to the United States in 1939 to conduct orchestras in Los Angeles and New York City as well as composing film music for RKO Pictures He was nominated for three Academy Awards for best music and original score in three consecutive years 1940 1941 and 1942 for Nurse Edith Cavell Irene and Sunny He returned to England in 1945 continuing to conduct the major British orchestras and also compose for British film studios He retired at the end of the 1950s returning to Los Angeles where he died at the age of 70 in 1963 4 Compositions EditCollins arranged and composed works in many genres but it is the lighter pieces that are still known today 5 Most notable of these is Vanity Fair 1952 6 Various miniatures suites and film music extracts by Collins have been recorded 7 Of the film music there is a five movement suite taken from his first score Victoria the Great 1937 Having established himself in Hollywood during the war he returned to the UK and scored a series of high profile British films many of them starring Anna Neagle such as Piccadilly Incident 1946 The Courtneys of Curzon Street 1947 and Odette 1950 8 Four one act operas Perseus and Andromeda Catherine Parr The Blue Harlequin and Kanawa were composed in the early 1930s for the Royal College of Music Eire 1938 is a suite of Irish folksong arrangements Louis XV Silhouettes 1939 is a suite of pastiche 18th century dance movements His 1942 Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar is based on a theme from the slow movement of Elgar s third symphony 9 Collins also compiled the Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action 1944 from sketches left by Michael Heming a young composer killed in World War II 10 11 There are also chamber works and songs 1 Many of his more ambitious works have been lost These include the last two of the four string symphonies two violin concertos the first only surviving in the version published for violin and piano Romney Marsh for viola and orchestra 1944 and the cantata The Lay of Rosabelle 8 Others such as the tone poem Sir Toby and Sir Andrew only exist as historical recordings 12 Recordings EditCollins conducted a series of classical recordings notably of music of Elgar and Sibelius for Decca Records and EMI His Decca Kingsway Hall recordings made between 1952 and 1955 of the seven Sibelius symphonies the second complete cycle with a single orchestra and conductor and some of the tone poems were very highly regarded 13 He recorded with Decca from May 1945 to December 1956 14 15 Selected works EditThe Lay of Rosabelle choral cantata 1932 Catherine Parr opera after a play by Maurice Baring 1930s Perseus and Andromeda opera 1930s The Blue Harlequin opera 1930s Kanawa opera 1930s Topley Pike pastoral 1937 Eire suite 1938 Louis XV Silhouettes suite 1939 Symphony No 1 for strings 1940 Elegy in Memory of Edward Elgar 1942 Sir Andrew and Sir Toby overture 1942 Romney Marsh viola and orchestra 1944 Threnody for a Soldier Killed in Action 1944 from sketches left by Michael Heming The Song of Erin Lamentation cor anglais and orchestra 1946 The Willow Pattern Plate ballet 1946 Symphony No 2 for strings Halle Barbirolli Cheltenham Festival 7 July 1950 Valse Lente orch Harry Dexter extracted from Odette 1950 Prelude and Valse Variations extracted from The Lady with a Lamp 1951 Hogarth Suite oboe and strings 1952 Vanity Fair 1952 Violin Concerto No 1 op 48 1953 With Emma in Town recorded 1957 16 Festival Royal overture 1958 Santa Cecilia orchestral madrigal 1959 Violin Concerto No 2 String Quartet in B flat major Quartet for flute violin viola and harp Trio for flute viola and harpFilm music EditVictoria the Great 1937 The Rat 1937 A Royal Divorce 1938 Sixty Glorious Years 1938 Marigold 1938 Nurse Edith Cavell 1939 Allegheny Uprising 1939 Swiss Family Robinson 1940 Tom Brown s School Days 1940 Irene 1940 Sunny 1941 Unexpected Uncle 1941 The Nazis Strike 1943 Appointment in Berlin 1943 Destroyer 1943 Forever and a Day I Live in Grosvenor Square 1945 Piccadilly Incident 1946 The Courtneys of Curzon Street 1947 The Fabulous Texan 1947 Odette 1950 Thunder in God s Country 1951 The Lady with a Lamp 1951 Macao 1952 Derby Day 1952 Trent s Last Case 1952 Laughing Anne 1953 Adventures of Robinson Crusoe 1954 Awards and nominations Edit Year Award Category Work Result1940 Academy Awards Best Original Score Nurse Edith Cavell Nominated1941 Irene Nominated1942 Best Music Scoring of a Musical Picture Sunny NominatedReferences Edit a b Kennedy Michael 2006 The Oxford Dictionary of Music Anthony Collins The Musical Times May 1964 p 374 London Concerts London Symphony Orchestra The Musical Times February 1938 p 143 Anthony Collins Naxos Records Scowcroft Philip L Some British Conductor Composers Part 4 MusicWeb International British Light Music Miniatures Marco Polo CD 8 223522 1994 Anthony Collins Dutton CDLX7162 2006 a b Foreman Lewis Notes to Dutton CDLX7162 2006 Dutton CDLX7148 2005 WorldCat entry Music Soldier s Lament Time 24 January 1944 Glorious John Anniversary Set Barbirolli Society CD SJB1999 2010 Sibelius Symphonies amp Tone Poems Anthony Collins ClassicalSource Anthony Collins Complete Decca Recordings Complete Decca Recordings reviewed by MusicWeb International Decca 10 inch 78 F 10337 London Promenade Orchestra cond CollinsExternal links EditClassics Online biography Anthony Collins at IMDb Vanity Fair conducted by Ernest Tomlinson Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anthony Collins composer amp oldid 1123244067, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
