Famous composer dead

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 15

Famous composer dead

I <s' 2 P.A.-Reuter—Copt/right> LONDON, March 28. Sir Arthur Bliss, who ‘ died in London yesterday ; ; at the age of 83. was one | I of the most distinguished ! British composers of this > century. Since 1953 he had been Master of the Queen’s Mu-: isick, ar ancient function! I now purely advisory, the' holder of which office was: I originally conductor of a: company of musicians known as the Royal Band of' i Musick. As a young composer with! la curious mind, first! .influenced by Ravel and! I Stravinsky, Sir Arthur ex- i :perimented in orchestral col-' ours and unusual in-; strumental combinations.) which earned him the des-' criptions of “hothead’’ and “semi-wild” from a generation unaccustomed to his' I vital originality. In the 19305, a more clas-l isical attitude of mind prevailed in such compositions: as the frequently heard “Music for Strings” first' performed a - the Salzburg Festival of 1935 Eventually, the youth who'

had flirted with aggressive modernism admitted his ro-j mantic heart, ful'v revealed; : in 1949 when his opera “The | Olympians," with libretto byl J. B. Priestley, was given its) premiere at Covent Garden. He wrote the processional' music for the Coronation of, ‘ the Queen, and fanfares for | the investiture of Prince! | Charles as Prince of Wales and for the wedding of Princess Anne. ! A prolific composer whol ■ lived a full life. Sir Arthur) !wrote in every form in-i , eluding music for numerous l : films, such as “The Shape of [(Things to Come” <19351. and [ballets, such as Ninette de [Valois’s “Checkmate” (1937). . A piano concerto was written by him for the New ! York World Fair n 1939. |' Sir Arthur conducted or-: chestras in many countries.! In 1956 he led a musical mission to the Soviet Union.! [where he served on the jury [for the international award' ;of the Tchaikovsky Prize for [ young violinists and pianists. ; He was knighted in 1950 and was created a Companion of Honour in 1971.