Philip Lane has explained that there
is a mystery about the production of the score for this film. Addinsell had
accepted the contract for writing the music, however, after he had composed the
dance music sequences, he ‘proceeded to walk away for reasons that are not
clear.’ On face value, it would appear to have been an ideal project for a
composer with his particular track record. The task was completed by Douglas
Gamley who is duly credited in the film. Gamley (1924-1998) was an Australian
composer and conductor who was twenty years younger than Addinsell, and is
recalled for directing the music to The
Little Prince (which won an Academy Award in 1974) and The Land that Time Forgot (1975)
The Admirable Crichton is presented as a comedy, but is intended to
examine societal relationships at the turn of the century. A landed family on a
sea voyage are wrecked on a desert island. It turns out that the butler, Crichton,
(More) has a greater range of practical survival skills denied to his master. The
roles are reversed and Crichton become Lord of the Desert Island. After a
number of tribulations they are rescued by ship and return to England, where
life continues as before.
The two dances which are recorded
by Chandos on their retrospective of Addinsell’s film music are derived from
scenes in the family mansion in England, the yacht which was wrecked and on the
desert island. The first dance is a
Polka followed by a Galop. It is basically light-hearted and are parodies of
music that would have been popular in the years before the story’s fictional setting.
The second is an attractive ‘waltz sequence’ that explores a variety of nostalgic
moods in its short space. It is a delight to listen to.
The Admirable Crichton starred Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, Sally
Ann Howes and Diane Cilento. It was based on the 1902 stage play by the
Scottish author Sir James Barrie (1860-1937)
The music can be heard on Chandos CHAN 10046
Audio samples can be heard on AMAZON.
They are the tracks 16 & 17 of this CD
3 comments:
John, I can't allow a mention of Addinsell to go by without mentioning his marvellous music for a marvellous film, The Greengage Summer. It is inextricably bound up with my own adolescence. I used to track it down in reissue cinemas across London to capture its magic again.
I'm a little puzzled that you should call the Warsaw Concerto a parody. Sure, it was modelled on Rachmaninov (I believe he was originally asked to write the music), but it was a homage rather than a parody.
I gather that the Big Tune of the WC started off as a rumba he wrote for an Oxford Ball. Yep, it works as a rumba!!
Thanks for that! Yes I too enjoy The Greengage Summer very much...
And, yes, I will concede 'homage' instead of 'parody'! It is just that he out Rachs Rach in this work!
Do you know Malcolm Arnold's John Field Fantasy? Now I'd call the climax of that a Rach parody--a rather unsettling one because so little that's gone before paves the way for it.
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