Marc Wilkinson (27 July 1929 – 8 January 2022) was an Australian-British composer and conductor best known for his film scores, including The Blood on Satan's Claw, and incidental music for the theatre, most notably for Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun. His compositional approach has combined traditional techniques with elements of the avant-garde. After residing for most of his life in the United Kingdom, he retired from composition and lived in France.
Born in Paris, France, Wilkinson studied composition at Columbia and Princeton Universities; he also took some private lessons with Varèse in New York.[1] He published a number of analytical articles on works by Varèse and Boulez.[2][3] In England, he became one of the first independent composers to make use of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop after it opened in 1958.[4] For a time Wilkinson was resident composer and musical director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, then musical director of the Royal National Theatre (1963–74).[5] One of the first scores he composed in that post was for Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1964); the result deeply impressed the playwright, who has described Wilkinson's work as "perhaps the best score for a play to be written since Grieg embellished Peer Gynt".[6] Wilkinson subsequently wrote the incidental music to Shaffer's play Equus (1973).
Through his work at the National Theatre Wilkinson met Piers Haggard, who was working as an assistant director: the two worked together on the National Theatre production The Dutch Courtesan (1964).[8] Having directed several TV dramas, Haggard was about to direct his first feature film and invited Wilkinson to score it.[9] The result is one of Wilkinson's most celebrated film scores, Blood on Satan's Claw (1971),[10] acclaimed by Jonathan Rigby in English Gothic as "easily among the best ever composed for a British horror film".[11] Wilkinson subsequently gave crucial advice to Paul Giovanni who had been commissioned to score the film The Wicker Man.[12]
^. Movie Music Italiano [sic]. 2007. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012.
^Perle, George (1990). The Listening Composer. Volume 7 of Ernest Bloch Lectures. University of California Press. p. 12. ISBN9780520917835.
^Delaere, Mark; Crispin (eds), Darla (2009). Unfolding Time: Studies in Temporality in Twentieth-century Music. Leuven University Press. p. 75. ISBN9789058677358. {{cite book}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
^Niebur, Louis (2010). Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Oxford University Press. p. 223. ISBN9780195368406.
^"National Theatre: Music". National Theatre. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
^Shaffer, Peter. The Collected Plays. Harmony Books, 1982: p. x
^Dudeck, Theresa Robbins (2013). Keith Johnstone: A Critical Biography. A&C Black. pp. 61–62. ISBN9781408184714.
^"Production of the Dutch Courtesan | Theatricalia".
^Wilkinson, Marc. Sleevenotes to Soundtrack album Blood on Satan's Claw, Trunk Records [1].
^Spencer, Kristopher. Film and television scores, 1950–1979: a critical survey by genre. McFarland, 2008: p. 254
^Rigby, Jonathan. English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema. Reynolds & Hearn, 2004: p. 200
^Bartholomew, David. "The Wicker Man" in Cinefantastique Vol. 6, no. 3, 1977: p. 24 [2]
^Mönter, Oliver (15 January 2022). "Marc Wilkinson verstorben". Cine Music. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
marc, wilkinson, confused, with, mark, wilkinson, july, 1929, january, 2022, australian, british, composer, conductor, best, known, film, scores, including, blood, satan, claw, incidental, music, theatre, most, notably, peter, shaffer, royal, hunt, composition. Not to be confused with Mark Wilkinson Marc Wilkinson 27 July 1929 8 January 2022 was an Australian British composer and conductor best known for his film scores including The Blood on Satan s Claw and incidental music for the theatre most notably for Peter Shaffer s The Royal Hunt of the Sun His compositional approach has combined traditional techniques with elements of the avant garde After residing for most of his life in the United Kingdom he retired from composition and lived in France Contents 1 Life and career 2 Selective list of works 2 1 Incidental music for theatre 2 2 Film scores 2 3 Television scores 3 References 4 External linksLife and career EditBorn in Paris France Wilkinson studied composition at Columbia and Princeton Universities he also took some private lessons with Varese in New York 1 He published a number of analytical articles on works by Varese and Boulez 2 3 In England he became one of the first independent composers to make use of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop after it opened in 1958 4 For a time Wilkinson was resident composer and musical director of the Royal Shakespeare Company then musical director of the Royal National Theatre 1963 74 5 One of the first scores he composed in that post was for Peter Shaffer s The Royal Hunt of the Sun 1964 the result deeply impressed the playwright who has described Wilkinson s work as perhaps the best score for a play to be written since Grieg embellished Peer Gynt 6 Wilkinson subsequently wrote the incidental music to Shaffer s play Equus 1973 Other National Theatre productions for which Wilkinson wrote incidental music included Tom Stoppard s plays Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 1967 and Jumpers its premiere production 1972 He also taught at the Royal Court Theatre studio under the directorship of Keith Johnstone from the autumn of 1964 7 Through his work at the National Theatre Wilkinson met Piers Haggard who was working as an assistant director the two worked together on the National Theatre production The Dutch Courtesan 1964 8 Having directed several TV dramas Haggard was about to direct his first feature film and invited Wilkinson to score it 9 The result is one of Wilkinson s most celebrated film scores Blood on Satan s Claw 1971 10 acclaimed by Jonathan Rigby in English Gothic as easily among the best ever composed for a British horror film 11 Wilkinson subsequently gave crucial advice to Paul Giovanni who had been commissioned to score the film The Wicker Man 12 Wilkinson and Haggard subsequently worked together on further TV and film productions including Quatermass and The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu He died on 8 January 2022 at the age of 92 13 Selective list of works EditSee also List of works by Marc Wilkinson Incidental music for theatre Edit Richard III Royal Shakespeare Company 1961 Cymbeline Royal Shakespeare Company 1962 The Royal Hunt of the Sun 1964 The Storm 1966 Macbeth 1966 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 1967 As You Like It 1967 Three Sisters 1967 Love s Labour s Lost 1968 National Health 1969 Cyrano de Bergerac 1970 The Duchess of Malfi 1971 Jumpers 1972 Equus 1973 Film scores Edit If 1968 The Royal Hunt of the Sun 1969 The Blood on Satan s Claw 1970 Family Life 1971 Eagle in a Cage 1972 The Darwin Adventure 1972 The Triple Echo 1972 The Hireling 1973 The Mango Tree 1977 The Quatermass Conclusion 1979 edited down from TV series Eagle s Wing 1979 The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Manchu 1980 Looks and Smiles 1981 Enigma 1982 Rosencrantz amp Guildenstern are Dead 1990 Television scores Edit Twelfth Night 1970 film TV adaptation 1970 Play for Today TV series 1970 79 The Lie 1970 Blue Remembered Hills 1979 The Return Short 1973 Days of Hope TV drama mini series 1975 1916 Joining Up 1975 1921 1975 1924 1975 1926 General Strike 1975 The Leopard that Changed Its Spots nature documentary Anglia TV 1978 Quatermass TV series 1979 Ringstone Round 1979 Lovely Lightning 1979 What Lies Beneath 1979 An Endangered Species 1979 Hammer House of Horror TV series 1980 Visitor from the Grave 1980 Very Like a Whale TV movie 1981 Tales of the Unexpected TV series 1981 88 The Way to Do It 1981 The Skeleton Key 1982 The Absence of Emily 1982 A Harmless Vanity 1982 A Time to Die 1988 The Bell TV series four episodes 1982 All for Love TV series 1982 83 A Dedicated Man 1982 Mrs Silly 1983 The Case of the Frightened Lady TV movie 1983 Kim TV movie 1984 A Voyage Round My Father TV movie 1984 Coming Through TV movie 1985 Ruth Rendell Mysteries TV series 1987 Wolf to the Slaughter Part One 1987 References Edit An Interview with Composer Marc Wilkinson Movie Music Italiano sic 2007 Archived from the original on 30 November 2012 Perle George 1990 The Listening Composer Volume 7 of Ernest Bloch Lectures University of California Press p 12 ISBN 9780520917835 Delaere Mark Crispin eds Darla 2009 Unfolding Time Studies in Temporality in Twentieth century Music Leuven University Press p 75 ISBN 9789058677358 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a last2 has generic name help Niebur Louis 2010 Special Sound The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop Oxford University Press p 223 ISBN 9780195368406 National Theatre Music National Theatre Retrieved 7 December 2011 Shaffer Peter The Collected Plays Harmony Books 1982 p x Dudeck Theresa Robbins 2013 Keith Johnstone A Critical Biography A amp C Black pp 61 62 ISBN 9781408184714 Production of the Dutch Courtesan Theatricalia Wilkinson Marc Sleevenotes to Soundtrack album Blood on Satan s Claw Trunk Records 1 Spencer Kristopher Film and television scores 1950 1979 a critical survey by genre McFarland 2008 p 254 Rigby Jonathan English Gothic A Century of Horror Cinema Reynolds amp Hearn 2004 p 200 Bartholomew David The Wicker Man in Cinefantastique Vol 6 no 3 1977 p 24 2 Monter Oliver 15 January 2022 Marc Wilkinson verstorben Cine Music Retrieved 16 January 2022 External links EditMarc Wilkinson at IMDb Marc Wilkinson discography at Discogs Review of Wilkinson s soundtrack for Blood on Satan s Claw Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marc Wilkinson amp oldid 1115539343, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
