Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd-Webber (22.03.1948 years)

The history of modern musical theater is impossible to imagine without the name of the British composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Author of works such as "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Phantom of the Opera," "Cats" and a dozen other successful work is not for nothing called the "king of musical theater" - his role in the development of the modern musical is difficult to overestimate.

Andrew Lloyd Webber was born on March 22, 1948 in London, in a family of professional musicians. His father, William Lloyd Webber, was professor of music theory and composition at the Royal College of Music, Director of the London College of Music, and he wrote music for organ. Mother, Jean Lloyd Webber, taught violin and piano. It is no wonder that Andrew from early childhood began to show interest in music. In three years he began playing the violin at six - at the piano and horn. By the time he was already composing his own music, it was far more exciting than to execute someone else's, and when Andrew was nine, his essay entitled "Suite for toy theater" was published in a music magazine "The music teacher". Houses in Lloyd Webber always was music - both classical, . and popular, . so the creativity of the young composer was influenced by very different styles of music - he liked Prokofiev, . Shostakovich, . Dvorak and Mendelssohn, . but that did not prevent him from being an ardent admirer of the King of rock 'n' roll, . idol 60th - Elvis Presley, . Little Richard and the famous Everly Brothers,
. Mozart, Beethoven and Britten peacefully coexisted with Rogers and Hammerstein. Introducing musicals made a huge impression on Lloyd-Webber - watching the play "My Fair Lady", he even set up a home theater, for which he wrote musicals.

. In 1956 to the year of Andrew went to Westminster School - one of the oldest and most respected schools in London
. In school, Lloyd-Webber is seriously keen on medieval history and architecture. Successfully graduated from Westminster, he went to Magdalen College, Oxford, in the historical department, intending to become a scientist-medievalists, a specialist in architecture. But fate decreed otherwise.

. April 21, 1965-th year, Andrew Lloyd Webber has received a letter from Timothy Miles Bindona Rice (now known to the public as Tim Rice) - the young poet, while working in a law firm and passionate who wanted to be a rock star
. Having heard that the young composer needed a co-author who knows how to write poetry, Tim offered to meet and discuss the possibility of joint work. The ensuing historical meeting of two young men set in motion one of the most talented and successful creative duos in the history of musical theater.

. Andrew took a sabbatical to begin work on the first joint musical by Lloyd Webber - Rice
. Musical called "People like us" ( "The Likes of Us") and talked about the famous English philanthropist, Dr. Thomas Barnard, which set up orphanages for homeless children. But he was never put. Nevertheless, Andrew had decided not to return to Oxford, and fully focus on working with Tim Rice and music career. For this purpose, it is a course of orchestration in music school Gildhol, as well as rate songs and dirizherovaniya at the Royal College of Music.

. In the following work of Lloyd Webber - Rice, . cantata "Joseph and his amazing multi-colored cloak of dreams" ( "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"), . written by them in the 1968th year for children's choir based on the biblical story of Joseph and his brothers, and then set the school Colette Court, . fate was more fortunate,
. "Joseph" was recorded and released on vinyl, and the young authors noticed - producers David Land, and Sefton Myers suggested that Lloyd Webber and Rice have a contract that opened the way for them in this show-business. In the 1969th year, Andrew and Tim wrote a musical about the English King Richard the Lionheart - it was called "Come Back, . Richard, . Your Country Needs You "(" Come back, . Richard, . you want your country "), . but it was limited to only release singles, . who had no success.,

. World famous Andrew Lloyd Webber has received since the publication in 1970, their fourth with Tim Rice, co-product - the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar"
. The title song, written by singer Murray Hedom, real furor. Rock opera about the last days of Jesus Christ, has caused a lot of talk and debate and has become a cult product for an entire generation without losing its relevance in our days. "Jesus Christ Superstar" was a new word in musical theater. Connection rock music with classical motifs, . use of advanced vocabulary in texts, . their quality, . so-called principle of "sung-through" (the whole story is told entirely through song, . without the use of not sung dialogue) - all this made the "Jesus Christ Superstar" a hit.,

. In the 1975th year, Lloyd Webber wrote with renowned British playwright Alan Eykbornom musical "Jeeves" in explanation of the famous works of Wodehouse Pelema Graham clever servant, Jeeves, and his singular host, an aristocrat Bertie Wooster
. Musical has not had much success, but his revised version, published in 1996 to the year of under the name "By Jeeves", was more successful.

. In 1976 to the year of Lloyd-Webber was reunited with his former co-author - Tim Rice, and together they create a rock opera "Evita," the wife of Argentine President Juan Peron, Eva Peron
. "Evita" unfortunately, has become the latest brainchild of Andrew and Tim, not counting the mini-musical "Cricket", written by them in 1986, specifically for the Queen.

. In the 1978th year, leave the "Variations" - a work for cello and rock band, written by Andrew specially for his brother, Julian Lloyd Webber - a famous classical cellist
. Later, in 1982 to the year of "Variations" were included as the second part of the ballet in the musical "Song and Dance" ( "Song and Dance"). The first part is a cycle of songs about the fate of an English girl in America and was called "Tell me on Sunday" ( "Tell Me On A Sunday") - this thing Andrew wrote with poet Don Blake back in the 1979th year.

. In the 1980th year, there was a second "historic meeting" - Andrew met with producer Cameron Mackintosh
. Together they opened a new era in the history of musical theater - an era of expensive, luxurious, high-tech, large-scale productions with well-developed industry sales related souvenirs. "Cats" ( "Cats", . 1981st year), . "Star Express" ( "Starlight Express", . 1984th year, . librettist Richard Stilgo), . "The Phantom of the Opera" ( "The Phantom Of The Opera", . 1986-The year, . librettist Charles Hart) were not only bright, . beautiful and original show with wonderful music, . and carefully planned, . well thought out commercial projects,
. Much the emphasis on technological "miracles" - in "Phantom of the Opera", for example, a chandelier fell on the audience, and in the Star Express "all the actors were put on rollers. "Cats", a dance show based on the cycle of poems by Thomas Eliot, has made its author a millionaire and has become the most-lasting musical in the history of this genre. "Phantom of the Opera", which is based on the sentimental novel by Gaston Leroux, especially liked by the audience and spawned a huge wave "fantomomanii" around the world.

. At the same time Andrew composes a piece of music completely different kind - in the 1985th year, he wrote "Requiem", on the death of his father
. This thing has demonstrated that the composer can work successfully and not very accustomed to a sphere - the sphere of classical, "serious" music. In his "Requiem", superbly performed Placido Domingo and Sarah Brightman, Andrew was awarded in 1986 to the year of award a Grammy in the category "Best Contemporary Classical Composition".

. In the 1989th year go "Aspects of Love" - a musical about tangled romantic relationships, written on the novel by David Garnett
. Librettists, this time made by Don Black and Charles Hart. In 1993, eating, Andrew, along with Don Black and Christopher Hampton write musical "Sunset Boulevard" ( "Sunset Boulevard"), tetralnuyu adaptation of Billy Wilder's film about an aging star of silent movies.

. In the 1998th year, Lloyd Webber returns to rock and to the theme of Jesus Christ - people, . which is taken as the Savior, . becomes the protagonist of his rock musical "whistle in the wind" ( "Whistle Down The Wind"), . created with Jim Steinmann, . famous songwriter Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.,

. Last work of Lloyd Webber - Musical "The Beautiful Game" ( "The Beautiful Game"), . written by him in collaboration with renowned British playwright Ben Elton (2000th year) - was a departure from the tradition of "big, . expensive show, . farewell to the era of "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera", . showing his weariness from this form of musical,
. In search of new forms of the composer once again appeals to the chamber, more individual, personal manner, setting performance. In the "beautiful game" is not a big orchestra and complex scenery, there is no technical "bloat". Critics appreciated the music and story of the "Beautiful Game" (musical, whose action takes place in Northern Ireland, devoted to the problem of ethnic and religious conflicts), recognizing the play "The best musical 2000th year". Composer is not going to stop there - now he is working on ideas for his next musical.

. The genius of Andrew Lloyd-Webber appears in his amazing ability to freely deal with different styles of music: he combines rock and classical music, . with equal ease parody operetta, . Rock 'n' roll and even newfangled rap, . Berg, he is modern and still has its own original style,
. His gift of a talented melodist complemented by the ability to independently create complex orchestrations for his things (than now boasts a rare composer), and unique theatrical "instinct".

. Andrew Lloyd Webber lives in his manor Sidmonton in Hampshire
. Since 1976-th year he spends in Sidmontone annual festivals, which presents to the public their new products before placing them in the theater. Andrew fortunate not only in composing, . but also in financing activities (which dramatically increases the number of his envious, spiteful critics) - he heads the company Really Useful Group ( "Really Useful Company), . created them in the 1977th year and designed to represent its interests,
. In addition, the company producing activities. In the year 2000 Really Useful Group acquired Stoll Moss, allowing Andrew now owns more than a dozen West End theaters.

. Military awards and other regalia: Stores on the shelf 7 Tony Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, 5 Laurence Olivier Awards, Golden Globe, Oscar and the Critics Society Award for best musical of 2000, as well as other awards, which are difficult to transfer
. In 1992, Andrew was knighted for his services to the homeland and became known as Sir Lloyd Webber, while the 1997th was awarded lordship and the hyphen in the name (now known as Lord Lloyd-Webber, Baron Sidmontonskim).

. Marital Status: Music is the third marriage: the first time he was married to Sarah Tudor Hughes, who bore him two children, for the second time - to singer Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webber is now married to Madeleine Astrid Gordon, have three children.

. Hobbies: Collects pre-Raphaelite paintings, as well as pictures of their sworn enemies, keep horses, kept in the cellar of good wine, regularly scribbling restaurant columns and composes a tabletop game in which playing with their children.