Davis, Carl 1936–
Davis, Carl 1936–
PERSONAL
Born October 28, 1936, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Isadore and Sara (maiden name, Perlmutter) Davis; married Jean Boht (an actress), December 28, 1970; children: two daughters. Education: Bard College, B.A.; attended Queen's College, New England Conservatory of Music, and Tanglewood Music Festival. Avocational Interests: Cooking, gardening, and collecting graphics.
Addresses:
Agent—The Kaufman Agency, 12007 Laurel Terrace Dr., Studio City, CA 91604.
Career:
Composer, music director, music conductor, music arranger, production assistant, and actor. Robert Shaw Chorale, pianist, 1955-56; repetiteur for Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM, 1958, and New York City Opera, New York City, 1958-59; Sundergrade Music (publishing company), founder with Terry Oates, 1979; Bournemouth Pops, Bournemouth, England, conductor, 1984-?; London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor, 1987-?; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's summer pops season, artistic director and conductor, for eight seasons including 1993; University of Liverpool, vice chancellor. Also composed music for dance.
Awards, Honors:
Obie Award, Village Voice, c. 1959, for Diversions; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding achievement in music composition—for a special program, 1972, for The Snow Goose; Television Award, best original television music, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1981, for The Merchant of Venice; Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1982, Grammy Award nomination, best album of original score written for a motion picture or television special, 1983, both for The French Lieutenant's Woman; Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, 1983; Television Award nomination, best original television musical, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1985, for The Far Pavilions; Television Award nomination, best original television music, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1986, for Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe; Television Award nomination, best original television music, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1987, for Hotel du Lac; Joseph Plateau Music Award, Flanders International Film Festival, 1992; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding individual achievement in main title theme music, 1993, for Covington Cross; Special Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2003; awarded Commander of the British Empire, 2005.
CREDITS
Film Work:
Conductor, The Other World of Winston Churchill, 1964.
Pianist, Bedtime, 1967.
Music director, Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition, Mithras, 1970.
Conductor, Up Pompeii, 1971.
(Uncredited) Conductor, I, Monster, 1971.
Conductor, The National Health (also known as The National Health, or Nurse Norton's Affair), 1973.
Conductor, Man Friday, 1975.
Researcher, The Late Great Planet Earth, 1978.
Production assistant, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, Miramax, 1981.
Conductor, The French Lieutenant's Woman, 1981.
Music director and conductor, Champions, Embassy, 1983.
Conductor, George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey, 1984.
Music director and conductor, King David, Paramount, 1985.
Music conductor (Symphonie Orchester Graunke), The Rainbow, Vestron, 1989.
Conductor, Scandal, 1989.
Conductor, They Never Slept, 1990.
Conductor, Frankenstein Unbound (also known as Roger Corman's "Frankenstein Unbound"), 1990.
Conductor, The Trial, 1993.
Music director, Widows' Peak, 1994.
Film Work; Silent Movies Re-released with Modern Scores:
New score conductor, Show People, 1982.
(Uncredited) New score conductor, The Wind, 1983.
Conductor, music adapter, and music arranger, Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (also known as Broken Blossoms, Scarlet Blossoms, and The Chink and the Child), 1983.
(Uncredited) New score conductor, A Woman of Affairs, 1983.
Music adapter orchestrator, The Thief of Baghdad, 1984.
Conductor, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (also known as Ben-Hur), 1987.
Musical director, City Lights (also known as City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime), 1989.
Conductor, The Kid Brother, 1990.
Also worked as conductor, Speedy.
Film Appearances:
Composer, Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition, Mithras, 1970.
Killer of Sheep, 1977.
Mr. Davidovitz, The Understudy, 2008.
Television Work; Series:
Music conductor, Clive James' Fame in the 20th Century, BBC, PBS, and Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
Television Work; Miniseries:
Music conductor, Our Mutual Friend, BBC, then Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1978.
Conductor, Wuthering Heights, 1978.
Music conductor, Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, PBS, 1996.
Television Work; Movies:
Music director, The Birth of the Beatles, ABC, 1979.
Producer and conductor, A Song for Europe (also known as A Crime of Honour), 1985.
Conductor, Hotel du Lac, 1986.
Crossing to Freedom (also known as The Pied Piper and The Red Piper), 1990.
Music conductor, Genghis Cohn, Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
Television Work; Specials:
Conductor, The Other World of Winston Churchill, 1964.
Conductor, The Snow Goose, 1971.
Conductor, Down in the Valley, 1983.
Music director, The American Film Institute Salute to Lillian Gish, 1984.
Conductor, Sakharov, 1984.
Conductor, Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe (also known as Silas Marner), 1985.
Music arranger of Chaplin compositions, Unknown Chaplin, PBS, 1986.
Music conductor, Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, 1991.
Music conductor, Anne Frank Remembered, BBC and Disney Channel, 1995.
Music conductor, Goodnight Mister Tom, PBS, 1998.
Conductor and orchestrator, Garbo, TCM, 2005.
Television Work; Episodic:
Musician, "Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence," The South Bank Show, 1997.
Television Appearances; Miniseries:
Edgar, Passion and Paradise, ABC, 1989.
Television Appearances; Specials:
Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, 1991.
There's Only One Paul McCartney, BBC, 2002.
Television Appearances; Episodic:
Evening at Pops, 1970.
"Carl Davis," This Is Your Life, 1986.
French and Saunders, 1990.
"Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio," Great Performances, 1991.
Masterchef, 1995.
Breakfast with Frost, BBC1, 2005.
RECORDINGS
Albums:
(With Paul McCartney) Liverpool Oratorio, EMI, 1993.
The Sound of Music/South Pacific, Classics for Pleasure, 1993.
Frankel: Curse of the Werewolf, Naxos, 2006.
WRITINGS
Stage Scores:
Diversions (revue), Downtown Theatre, New York City, 1958.
Twists, Arts Theatre, London, 1962.
Forty Years On, 1969.
The Tempest, 1970.
Council of Love, 1970.
The Merchant of Venice, National Theatre, London, 1970.
Much Ado About Nothing, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1971.
King Lear, London, 1971.
The Projector, 1971.
Pericles, London, 1973.
The Marriage of Figaro, National Theatre, 1974.
A Month in the Country, Chichester Theatre Festival, Chichester, England, 1974, London, 1974.
Pilgrim, Cranford, England, 1975.
Summerfolk, Brooklyn, NY, 1975.
The Zykovs, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1976.
Ivanov, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1976.
The Devil's Disciple, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1976.
Saint Joan, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1977.
Saratoga, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1978.
Antonio, Nottingham, England, 1979.
The Relapse, Old Vic Theatre, 1981.
Dances of Love and Death (ballet), Edinburgh, Scotland, 1981.
(Also creator with Barry Humphries) Last Night of the Poms—An Educational Sonorama with Music (ballet), London, 1981.
Pericles, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1983.
Fire and Ice (ballet), 1986.
The Portrait of Dorian Gray (ballet), 1987.
A Simple Man (ballet), 1987.
The Tempest, Old Vic Theatre, 1988.
Also wrote score for The Vaccies, London.
Film Scores:
The Bofors Gun, Universal, 1968.
The Only Way (also known as Oktober-dage), UMC, 1970.
Praise Marx and Pass the Ammunition, Mithras, 1970.
Up the Chastity Belt (also known as Naughty Knights and The Chastity Belt), Associated London/International Co-Productions, 1971.
Up Pompeii, 1971.
I, Monster, 1971.
The Lovers, British Lion, 1972.
Rentadick, Virgin, 1972.
(With George Howe) What Became of Jack and Jill? (also known as Romeo and Juliet '71 and Romeo and Juliet 1971—A Gentle Tale of Sex, Violence, Corruption, and Murder), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972.
The National Health, or Nurse Norton's Affair (also known as The National Health), Columbia, 1973.
Man Friday, AVCO-Embassy, 1975.
What's Next?, Children's Film Foundation/Rank, 1975.
The Sailor's Return, Osprey, 1978.
The French Lieutenant's Woman, United Artists, 1981.
The Weather in the Streets, Rediffusion/BBC-TV/Britannia TV, 1983.
Champions, Embassy, 1984.
The Song for Europe, 1985.
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey, Castle Hill, 1985.
King David, Paramount, 1985.
Crime of Honor, Academy Home Entertainment, 1987.
The Girl in a Swing, J & M, 1988.
The Rainbow, Vestron, 1989.
Scandal, Miramax, 1989.
Skulduggery, 1989.
Fragments of Isabella, 1989.
The Accountant, 1989.
They Never Slept, 1990.
Frankenstein Unbound (also known as Roger Corman's "Frankenstein Unbound"), 1990.
A Sense of History, 1992.
The Trial, 1993.
Widows' Peak, 1994.
Liberation, 1994.
A Life in a Day, 1997.
Le radeau de la meduse (also known as The Raft of the Medusa), 1998.
Topsy-Turvy, October Films/USA Films, 1999.
The Book of Eve (also known as Histoire d'Eve), Lions Gate Films, 2002.
Mothers and Daughters, 2004.
The Understudy, 2008.
Film New Scores; Silent Movies:
Napoleon (also known as Abel Gance's "Napoleon," Napoleone, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Napoleon vu par Abel Gance), 1980.
Lines on London, 1980.
The Crowd, 1981.
Flesh and the Devil, 1982.
Show People, 1982.
Broken Blossoms, 1983.
The Wind, 1983.
A Woman of Affairs, 1983.
The Thief of Baghdad, 1984.
Our Hospitality, 1984.
The Big Parade, 1985.
The Strong Man, 1985.
The Eagle, 1985.
Greed, 1986.
The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (also known as Old Heidelberg and The Student Prince), 1986.
The General, 1987.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (also known as Ben-Hur), 1987.
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (also known as Intolerance and Intolerance: A Sun-Play of the Ages), 1989.
The Kid Brother, 1990.
The Phantom of the Opera, 1996.
Also wrote new scores for The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; Safety Last!.
Television Scores; Series:
Covington Cross (also known as Charring Cross), 1992.
Clive James' Fame in the 20th Century, BBC, PBS, and Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
Also wrote scores for That Was the Week That Was; The First Eden.
Television Scores; Miniseries:
The World at War, Thames, 1972.
Treasure Island, 1977.
The Mayor of Casterbridge, BBC, then Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1978.
Our Mutual Friend, BBC, then Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1978.
Prince Regent, 1978.
Wuthering Heights, 1978.
Prince Regent, 1979.
Hollywood (also known as Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film), Thames, 1980.
Private Schulz, 1981.
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, 1981.
Oppenheimer, PBS, 1982.
The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1982.
The Far Pavilions (also known as Blade of Steel), HBO, 1984.
"The Tales of Beatrix Potter," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1984.
A Song for Europe (also known as A Crime of Honour), 1985.
Oscar (also known as Forbidden Passion: Oscar Wilde, the Movie), 1985.
Pride of Place: Building the American Dream, PBS, 1986.
Separate but Equal, 1991.
Ashenden, 1992.
A Year in Provence, Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
The Buried Mirror (also known as El Espejo enterrado), 1994.
Pride and Prejudice, Arts and Entertainment, 1995.
Oliver's Travels, PBS, 1995.
Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, PBS, 1996.
A Dance to the Music of Time, 1997.
The Face of Russia, PBS, 1998.
Cold War, CNN, 1998.
Cranford Chronicles, BBC, 2007.
Television Title Music; Miniseries:
Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, PBS, 1996.
Television Scores; Movies:
Catholics (also known as Conflict and Catholics: A Fable of the Future), 1973.
The Naked Civil Servant (also known as The Naked Civil Servant of Quentin Crisp), 1975.
Where Adam Stood, 1976.
Marie Curie, 1977.
Horse in the House, 1978.
The Light Princess, 1978.
The Birth of the Beatles, ABC, 1979.
The Commanding Sea, 1981.
Praying Mantis, Channel Four, 1982.
The Aerodrome, 1983.
The Weather in the Streets, 1983.
Sakharov, HBO, 1984.
The Pickwick Papers, 1985.
Late Starter, 1985.
See It Now, 1986.
Hotel du Lac, 1986.
Fire & Ice, 1986.
Murrow, 1986.
Journey's End, 1988.
Somewhere to Run, 1989.
Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming (also known as 007 Spymaker: The Secret of Ian Fleming and The Secret Life of Ian Fleming), TNT, 1990.
Crossing to Freedom (also known as The Pied Piper and The Red Piper), 1990.
The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story, 1990.
Ghosts of the Past, 1991.
The Crucifer of Blood, 1991.
Diary of a Madman, 1991.
Voyage (also known as Cruise of Fear), 1993.
Genghis Cohn, Arts and Entertainment, 1993.
Lie Down with Lions (also known as Red Eagle), Lifetime, 1994.
The Return of the Native (also known as Thomas Hardy's "The Return of the Native"), CBS, 1994.
Real Women, 1998.
Seesaw, 1998.
The Greatest Store in the World, BBC, 1999.
The Great Gatsby, BBC and Arts and Entertainment, 2000.
Back Home, ITV, 2001.
An Angel for May, 2002.
Promoted to Glory, ITV, 2003.
Also wrote scores for Fair Stood the Wind for France; The Misanthrope; The Old Curiosity Shop.
Television Scores; Specials:
Schaufensterpuppen, 1964.
The Other World of Winston Churchill, 1964.
The World of Coppard, 1968.
Mad Jack, 1970.
The Snow Goose, NBC, 1971.
Arturo UI (also known as Stage 2: The Resistible Rise of Arturo UI), 1972.
What's Next?, 1974.
The Cay, 1974.
Big Henry and the Polka Dot Kid, NBC, 1976.
Moving Pictures, 1980.
The Merchant of Venice (also known as BBC Television Shakespeare: "The Merchant of Venice" and The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: "The Merchant of Venice"), 1980.
Macbeth (also known as BBC Television Shakespeare: "Macbeth" and The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: "Macbeth"), 1983.
Unknown Chaplin, PBS, 1986.
Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow, PBS, 1987.
Silas Marner (also known as Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe), 1987.
Once in a Lifetime, BBC, then Great Performances, PBS, 1988.
Paul Gauguin: The Savage Dream, 1989.
The Yellow Wallpaper, 1989.
(With Paul McCartney) Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, 1991.
A Sense of History, 1992.
D. W. Griffith: Father of Film, TCM, 1993.
The Black Velvet Gown (also known as Catherine Cookson's "The Black Velvet Gown"), PBS, 1993.
George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin, Disney Channel, 1994.
A Christmas Carol, Arts and Entertainment, 1994.
Hope in Year Two, 1994.
Anne Frank Remembered, BBC and Disney Channel, 1995.
Coming Home (also known as Heimkehr and Rosamunde Pilcher—Heimkehr), 1998.
I'm King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper (documentary), TCM, 2005.
Garbo, TCM, 2005.
Television Scores; Episodic:
The Wednesday Play, 1965-69.
Play for Today, 1970-82.
Shades of Greene, 1975-76.
Out of Bounds, 1977.
"Langrishe Go Down," BBC2 Play of the Week, BBC2, 1978.
"Marya," Play of the Month, 1979.
"Speed King," BBC2 Playhouse, BBC2, 1979.
"Hallelujah, Mary Plum," BBC2 Playhouse, BBC2, 1980.
"Staying On," Great Performances, 1980.
"Marriage," BBC2 Playhouse, BBC2, 1980.
"Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius," American Masters, PBS, 1989.
"Message for Posterity," Performance, 1994.
"Goodnight Mister Tom," Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1999.
Also scored episodes of The Day the Universe Changed.
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals:
Soundtrack, December, 1987.
Davis, Carl
Davis, Carl
Davis, Carl , American conductor and composer; b.N.Y, Oct. 28, 1936. He was educated at the New England Cons, of Music in Boston and at Bard Coll. (B.A.), his mentors in composition in the U.S. being Paul Nordoff and Hugo Kauder; also studied with Per Norgard in Copenhagen. He became active in England as a conductor and composer. From 1984 to 1987 he was principal conductor of the Bournemouth Pops. In 1987–88 he was assoc. conductor of the London Phil. He composed much stage, film, and television music. He also collaborated with Paul McCartney on the Liverpool Oratorio (1991).
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Peace (1978).Tele v i s i o n Opera : The Arrangement (1967); Orpheus in the Underground (1976). M u s i c a 1 s :The Projector (1971); Pilgrim (1975); Cranford (1976); Alice in Wonderland (1977); The Wind in the Willows (1986); Kip’s War (1987).B a l l e t : Dances of Love and Death (1981); Fire and Ice (1986); The Portrait of Dorian Gray (1987); A Simple Man (1987); Liaisons Amoureuses (1989); Lipizzaner (1989); A Christmas Carol (1992); Savoy Suite (1993).F i l m : The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981); Champions (1984); King David (1985); Girl in a Swing (1988); Scandal (1988); The Rainbow (1988); Frankenstein Unbound (1989); Fragments of Isabella (1990); Crudfer of Blood (1991); Raft of the Medusa (1992); The Voyage (1993); The Trial (1993); also scores for various silent films, including Napoleon (1980), Thief of Baghdad (1984), Ben Hur (1987), and City Lights (1988).ORCH.: Lines on London, sym. (1980); Overture on Australian Themes (1981); Clarinet Concerto (1984); Fantasy for Flute, Strings, and Harpsichord (1985); Glenlivet Fireworks Music (1987); The Pigeon’s Progress for Narrator and Orch. (1988); A Duck’s Diary for Narrator and Orch. (1990); The Town Fox for Narrator and Orch. (1990).VOCAL: The Most Wonderful Birthday of All for Soprano and Orch. (1985); Liverpool Oratorio for Voices and Orch. (1991; in collaboration with P. McCartney).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire