Adrian Sutton: Difference between revisions
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Sutton was born in [[Kent]] in 1967 but his family then moved to [[Zimbabwe]] and later [[South Africa]], where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths]].<ref>[https://www.gold.ac.uk/our-people/profile-hub/music/ug/adrian-sutton/#:~:text=Adrian%20studied%20a%20BMus%20degree,came%20to%20apply%20for%20universities. Goldsmiths, student and graduate profiles]</ref> Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", especially music for television commercials. But after working with radio presenter [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]] on the music for his BBC Radio [[Blue Jam]] series (1997-99)<ref>[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Disgusting_Bliss/idNdAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22adrian+sutton%22+%22composer%22&pg=PT164&printsec=frontcover Lucian Randall. ''Disgusting Bliss: The Brass Eye of Chris Morris'' (2010)]</ref> Sutton was introduced to his brother, the theatre director [[Tom Morris (director)|Tom Morris]]. That led to a commission from the National Theatre in 2005 to write the score for ''[[Coram Boy (play)|Coram Boy]]'', for which Sutton adapted and extended the music of [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]].<ref>Robert Simonson. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/theater/01coram.html 'Don't Trust Your Ears: This Play Is Not a Musical'], in ''The New York Times'', 1 May 2007</ref> |
Sutton was born in [[Kent]] in 1967 but his family then moved to [[Zimbabwe]] and later [[South Africa]], where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at [[Goldsmiths, University of London|Goldsmiths]].<ref>[https://www.gold.ac.uk/our-people/profile-hub/music/ug/adrian-sutton/#:~:text=Adrian%20studied%20a%20BMus%20degree,came%20to%20apply%20for%20universities. Goldsmiths, student and graduate profiles]</ref> Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", especially music for television commercials. But after working with radio presenter [[Chris Morris (satirist)|Chris Morris]] on the music for his BBC Radio [[Blue Jam]] series (1997-99)<ref>[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Disgusting_Bliss/idNdAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22adrian+sutton%22+%22composer%22&pg=PT164&printsec=frontcover Lucian Randall. ''Disgusting Bliss: The Brass Eye of Chris Morris'' (2010)]</ref> Sutton was introduced to his brother, the theatre director [[Tom Morris (director)|Tom Morris]]. That led to a commission from the National Theatre in 2005 to write the score for ''[[Coram Boy (play)|Coram Boy]]'', for which Sutton adapted and extended the music of [[George Frideric Handel|Handel]].<ref>Robert Simonson. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/theater/01coram.html 'Don't Trust Your Ears: This Play Is Not a Musical'], in ''The New York Times'', 1 May 2007</ref> |
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The score for ''War Horse'' two years later, is interspersed with simple songs on which Sutton collaborated with [[John Tams]].<ref>Marla Carlson. ''[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Affect_Animals_and_Autists/JMlaDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22adrian+sutton%22+%22composer%22&pg=PA36&printsec=frontcover Affect, Animals, and Autists: Feeling Around the Edges of the Human in Performance]'' (2018), p. 36</ref> The orchestral sections drew on his interest in English music of the early and mid twentieth century (especially [[Arnold Bax|Bax]], [[Gerald Finzi|Finzi]] and [[William Walton|Walton]]).<ref>[https://www.chandos.net/translate/CH20349 Composer biography, Chandos]</ref><ref>''War Horse: Original London Cast Recording'', Cordafonia Records CORDAF01 (2008)</ref> (Sutton's music wasn't used for the subsequent [[War Horse (film)|film]] directed by Steven Spielberg). ''The Curious Incident'' score was influenced by another enthusiasm - the electronic studio music of [[Mike Oldfield]] and [[Aphex Twin]].<ref name=g/> |
The score for ''War Horse'' two years later, is interspersed with simple songs on which Sutton collaborated with [[John Tams]].<ref>Marla Carlson. ''[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Affect_Animals_and_Autists/JMlaDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22adrian+sutton%22+%22composer%22&pg=PA36&printsec=frontcover Affect, Animals, and Autists: Feeling Around the Edges of the Human in Performance]'' (2018), p. 36</ref> The orchestral sections drew on his interest in English music of the early and mid twentieth century (especially [[Arnold Bax|Bax]], [[Gerald Finzi|Finzi]] and [[William Walton|Walton]]).<ref>[https://www.chandos.net/translate/CH20349 Composer biography, Chandos]</ref><ref>''War Horse: Original London Cast Recording'', Cordafonia Records CORDAF01 (2008)</ref> (Sutton's music wasn't used for the subsequent [[War Horse (film)|film]] directed by Steven Spielberg). ''The Curious Incident'' score of 2011 was influenced by another enthusiasm - the electronic studio music of [[Mike Oldfield]] and [[Aphex Twin]].<ref name=g/> |
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Other scores for the National Theatre included ''[[Nation (novel)|Nation]]'' and ''[[The Revenger's Tragedy]]'' (both 2009), ''Husbands And Sons'' ([[D. H. Lawrence]], adapted by [[Ben Power]], 2015), ''[[Rules for Living (play)|Rules for Living]]'' (2015), and ''[[Angels in America]]'' (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'' ([[Bristol Old Vic]], 2019), ''[[Dr. Semmelweis]]'' (Bristol Old Vic, 2022, Sutton adapting [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]]) and ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (play)|Murder On The Orient Express]]'' ([[Chichester Festival Theatre|Chichester]], 2022). |
Other scores for the National Theatre included ''[[Nation (novel)|Nation]]'' and ''[[The Revenger's Tragedy]]'' (both 2009), ''Husbands And Sons'' ([[D. H. Lawrence]], adapted by [[Ben Power]], 2015), ''[[Rules for Living (play)|Rules for Living]]'' (2015), and ''[[Angels in America]]'' (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'' ([[Bristol Old Vic]], 2019), ''[[Dr. Semmelweis]]'' (Bristol Old Vic, 2022, Sutton adapting [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]]) and ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (play)|Murder On The Orient Express]]'' ([[Chichester Festival Theatre|Chichester]], 2022). |
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Revision as of 12:16, 11 November 2024
Adrian Sutton (born 1967) is a British composer, best known for his theatre music. He composed the scores for a series of well received National Theatre productions, including War Horse (2007) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2011). In September 2022 Sutton was diagnosed with incurable cancer.[1]
Sutton was born in Kent in 1967 but his family then moved to Zimbabwe and later South Africa, where he grew up. Returning to London he studied music at Goldsmiths.[2] Before his success at the National Theatre Sutton spent 15 years as a composer of "applied music", especially music for television commercials. But after working with radio presenter Chris Morris on the music for his BBC Radio Blue Jam series (1997-99)[3] Sutton was introduced to his brother, the theatre director Tom Morris. That led to a commission from the National Theatre in 2005 to write the score for Coram Boy, for which Sutton adapted and extended the music of Handel.[4]
The score for War Horse two years later, is interspersed with simple songs on which Sutton collaborated with John Tams.[5] The orchestral sections drew on his interest in English music of the early and mid twentieth century (especially Bax, Finzi and Walton).[6][7] (Sutton's music wasn't used for the subsequent film directed by Steven Spielberg). The Curious Incident score of 2011 was influenced by another enthusiasm - the electronic studio music of Mike Oldfield and Aphex Twin.[1]
Other scores for the National Theatre included Nation and The Revenger's Tragedy (both 2009), Husbands And Sons (D. H. Lawrence, adapted by Ben Power, 2015), Rules for Living (2015), and Angels in America (2018). For other theatres Sutton provided music for Cyrano de Bergerac (Bristol Old Vic, 2019), Dr. Semmelweis (Bristol Old Vic, 2022, Sutton adapting Schubert) and Murder On The Orient Express (Chichester, 2022).
Since his diagnosis, Sutton has worked exclusively on concert works.[8] In June 2023 his Violin Concerto (2023) and other orchestral pieces, including an extended suite constructed from the War Horse score, were performed live at the Southbank Centre with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, soloist Fenella Humphreys, and subsequently recorded by Chandos Records.[9]
References
- ^ a b 'Don’t waste time’: War Horse composer Adrian Sutton on living with an incurable cancer diagnosis', in The Guardian, 6 December 2022
- ^ Goldsmiths, student and graduate profiles
- ^ Lucian Randall. Disgusting Bliss: The Brass Eye of Chris Morris (2010)
- ^ Robert Simonson. 'Don't Trust Your Ears: This Play Is Not a Musical', in The New York Times, 1 May 2007
- ^ Marla Carlson. Affect, Animals, and Autists: Feeling Around the Edges of the Human in Performance (2018), p. 36
- ^ Composer biography, Chandos
- ^ War Horse: Original London Cast Recording, Cordafonia Records CORDAF01 (2008)
- ^ 'Sutton, Orchestral Works', reviewed at MusicWeb International
- ^ Chandos CHAN 20349 (2024), British Music Society