Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Birth

:

May 9, 1916

Death

:

November 21, 1996

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Choral

 

Bernard Rose was a British composer and conductor who was born on June 30, 1916, in London, England. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father, William Rose, was a violinist and conductor, and his mother, Ethel Rose, was a pianist. Bernard Rose showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of four. Rose attended the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied composition with Ralph Vaughan Williams and conducting with Malcolm Sargent. He also studied piano with Harold Craxton and organ with G.D. Cunningham. After graduating from the Royal College of Music in 1938, Rose worked as a freelance composer and conductor. During World War II, Rose served in the British Army and was stationed in India. While there, he conducted the Calcutta Symphony Orchestra and wrote music for the army band. After the war, Rose returned to London and resumed his career as a composer and conductor. Rose's early compositions were influenced by the English pastoral style of Vaughan Williams and the neo-classical style of Stravinsky. His first major work, the Symphony No. 1, was premiered in 1947 and received critical acclaim. The symphony is characterized by its lyrical melodies, lush harmonies, and pastoral themes. In the 1950s, Rose began to experiment with serialism and other modernist techniques. His String Quartet No. 1, premiered in 1952, is a twelve-tone work that explores the possibilities of the serial technique. The quartet is characterized by its dissonant harmonies, angular melodies, and complex rhythms. Rose's most famous work is his opera, The Plague, which was premiered in 1963. The opera is based on the novel by Albert Camus and tells the story of a group of people in a North African city who are quarantined during a plague outbreak. The opera is characterized by its dramatic intensity, lyrical melodies, and powerful choral writing. In addition to his work as a composer, Rose was also a respected conductor. He conducted many of the major orchestras in England, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He was also a professor of composition at the Royal College of Music from 1965 to 1981. Rose's later works continued to explore modernist techniques, but also incorporated elements of tonality and traditional forms. His Symphony No. 5, premiered in 1981, is a tonal work that combines elements of the symphonic and concerto forms. The symphony is characterized by its lush harmonies, lyrical melodies, and virtuosic solo writing. Bernard Rose died on November 2, 1996, in London, England. He left behind a legacy of innovative and expressive music that continues to be performed and admired today. His contributions to the world of classical music have earned him a place among the great composers of the 20th century.

More....