Arnell, Richard (Anthony Sayer)
Arnell, Richard (Anthony Sayer)
Arnell, Richard (Anthony Sayer), English composer, conductor, teacher, and poet; b. London, Sept. 15, 1917. He studied with John Ireland at the Royal Coll. of Music in London (1935–39). He taught composition at London’s Trinity Coll. of Music from 1949 to 1981, then was principal lecturer there from 1981 to 1987. Arnell was ed. of The Composer from 1961 to 1964, and again from 1991 to 1993. In 1964 and in 1974–75 he was chairman of the Composers Guild of Great Britain. In 1967–68 he was a visiting lecturer at Bowdoin (Maine) Coll., and then was a visiting prof. at Hofstra (N.Y.) Univ. from 1968 to 1970. From 1975 to 1989 he was music director of the London International Film School, and also of Ram Filming, Ltd., from 1980 to 1991. ArnelFs prolific output includes the operas Love in Transit (London, Feb. 27, 1958) and Moonflowers (Kent, July 23, 1959), the puppet operetta The Petrified Princess (London, May 5, 1959), the ballets Punch and the Child (1947), Harlequin in April (1951), The Great Detective (1953), The Angels (1957), and a reorchestration of Adam’s Giselle (1965), many film scores, 7 syms., the symphonic portrait Lord Byron, 2 piano concertos, 2 violin concertos, a Harpsichord Concerto, 6 string quartets, 2 quintets, a Piano Trio, piano pieces, organ music, song cycles and solo songs, and electronic music.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire