Constant Lambert

Constant Lambert Leonard ( born August 23, 1905 in London, † August 21 1951 in London ) was an English conductor and composer.

Life and work

Constant Lambert studied at the Royal College of Music with Ralph Vaughan Williams. At the age of thirteen years, he composed his first orchestral works and in 1925 was written for the Ballets Russes, Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev his ballet Romeo and Juliet. He was Abruptly famous by the jazz -influenced cantata The Rio Grande. In 1931 he co-founded the Vic- Wells Ballet, whose artistic director and chief conductor, he was until 1947. After the failure of his major work Summer's Last Will and Testament, he devoted himself mainly to conducting activities. He played a recording for the BBC and accompanied the Vic- Wells Ballet on its tours. Lambert, who also wrote two film soundtracks, including for the literary adaptation Anna Karenina (1948 ), is also seen in the documentary propaganda film Battle for Music ( 1943). In his last years his health was impaired by untreated diabetes.

His father was the painter George Washington Lambert.

Works

Musical Works

• Romeo and Juliet, Ballet, 1925
• Music for orchestra, 1927
• The Rio Grande, cantata, 1927
• Pomona, Ballet, 1927
• Piano Sonata, 1929
• Concerto for Piano and nine Players, 1930-31
• Summer's Last Will and Testament, 1932-35
• Horoscope, ballet and suite, 1937
• Merchant Seamen, Film Music, 1941
• Aubade héroique, 1942
• Anna Karenina, Film Music, 1947
• Tiresias, Ballet, 1950

Writings

• Music Ho!, 1934