# Herbert Menges

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{{Short description|English composer and conductor}}
{{for|the United States Navy officer|Herbert Hugo Menges}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
'''Herbert Menges''' [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (27 August 1902{{spaced ndash}}20 February 1972) was an English conductor and composer, who wrote [incidental music](/source/incidental_music) to all of [Shakespeare](/source/William_Shakespeare)'s plays.

==Life and career==
'''Siegfried Frederick Herbert Menges''' was born in [Hove](/source/Hove) on 27 August 1902.  His father was German and his mother British.<ref name=grove>Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954, Vol. 5, p. 709</ref> His elder sister was the violinist [Isolde Menges](/source/Isolde_Menges).<ref name="presto1">[http://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2008/Sept08/Solomon_2061022.htm Music Web International], accessed 15 March 2015.</ref> Herbert appeared in public as a violinist at the age of four.  He later abandoned the violin for the piano, which he studied with [Mathilde Verne](/source/Mathilde_Verne) and [Arthur De Greef](/source/Arthur_De_Greef_(composer)).<ref name="Brook"/> He later studied composition at the [Royal College of Music](/source/Royal_College_of_Music) under [Gustav Holst](/source/Gustav_Holst) and [Ralph Vaughan Williams](/source/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams).<ref name=grove/>

Menges's mother Kate founded the Brighton Symphony Players in 1925 and the first concert was given in the Hove Town Hall on 18 May 1925, conducted by Herbert Menges.<ref name=buses>[http://history.buses.co.uk/history/fleethist/834hm.htm Brighton and Hove: Names on the buses]</ref> After some years the Players evolved into the Brighton Philharmonic Society, a forerunner of the Southern Philharmonic [Orchestra](/source/Orchestra), a professional group based in Brighton from 1945 which also gave regular concerts in Portsmouth and Hastings. Menges was a powerful advocate of the regional professional orchestras.<ref name="Brook">Brook, Donald. Herbert Menges. In: ''International Gallery of Conductors.'' Rockliff Publishing Corporation Ltd, London, 1951, p113-116.</ref> He remained the orchestra's musical director for the remaining 47 years of his life, during which time it became the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra in 1958, and conducted the orchestra 326 times.<ref name=buses/> He conducted the premieres of a number of works by contemporary English composers.{{cn|date=August 2022}}

In 1931 he became musical director of the [Old Vic Theatre](/source/Old_Vic), in which capacity he wrote (or arranged from composers such as [Henry Purcell](/source/Henry_Purcell))<ref>{{cite book|author1=Jill L. Levenson|author2=William Shakespeare|title=Romeo and Juliet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Iy7oAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA62|year=1987|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=978-0-7190-2218-0|page=62}}</ref> incidental music for all the plays of William Shakespeare, and numerous plays by other writers.<ref name=grove/> Notable among these was his music for a 1949 production of ''[Love's Labour's Lost](/source/Love's_Labour's_Lost)''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hugh Hunt|title=Old Vic Prefaces: Shakespeare and the Producer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v755ltpW7JYC&pg=PA25|year=2005|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-35318-2|page=25}}</ref> He was associated with the productions of [John Gielgud](/source/John_Gielgud) from 1933 onwards.  His assistant there for three years was [John Cook](/source/John_Cook_(musician)).  He remained with the Old Vic until 1950.<ref name=archivaria>[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:bEvkNHqS_r0J:journals.sfu.ca/archivar/index.php/archivaria/article/download/11287/12226+herbert+menges&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgycGVOkWXpv3-pk61GuTMX-B2l5uRRJM6bVLoPRSscOyMFGx6l4L_eheGIi-zpOZQe2aoSnUhu6PykD2FnDmuuQfp85HPQDjOamUhpv9hkOpmLAVQmsh3xFnRgK4MUVmbDSUK-&sig=AHIEtbRLnhkI2fmc9cZh_t2o5WqUKc1bfA Archivaria]</ref> From 1941 to 1944, alongside [Lawrance Collingwood](/source/Lawrance_Collingwood) he conducted performances in London and around Britain for operas with the [Sadler's Wells Theatre](/source/Sadler's_Wells_Theatre) Orchestra, before returning to the Old Vic company when it moved to the New Theatre.<ref name="Brook"/> He toured with [Laurence Olivier](/source/Laurence_Olivier) and [Ralph Richardson](/source/Ralph_Richardson) to Paris, Germany, the Low countries and New York, where he also conducted the [CBS Symphony Orchestra](/source/CBS_Symphony_Orchestra).<ref name="Brook"/>

He also became musical director of the [Royalty Theatre](/source/Royalty_Theatre) in London.  In 1931 he founded the [London Rehearsal Orchestra](/source/London_Rehearsal_Orchestra), whose purpose was to help young musicians learn difficult pieces.<ref name=buses/>

In 1951 he wrote the music for the Laurence Olivier-[Vivien Leigh](/source/Vivien_Leigh) Broadway production of Shakespeare's ''[Antony and Cleopatra](/source/Antony_and_Cleopatra)''.<ref>[http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?id=1077011429168&html_title=&tols_title=&byline=&fid=NONE New York Times, 21 December 1951]</ref> That same year, [Malcolm Arnold](/source/Malcolm_Arnold) dedicated his ''A Sussex Overture'', Op. 31, to Herbert Menges and the Brighton Philharmonic Society.<ref>[http://www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%2010293 Chandos]</ref>

He considered that he had a strong affinity with Bach and conducted the Viennese classics and composers such as Verdi and Tchaikovsky with restraint, while his Brahms and Dvořák are warmer in his interpretations.<ref name="Brook"/> His rehearsal and conducting technique were commended for their economy and he would often forego the baton in more expressive passages.<ref name="Brook"/> A later critic, discussing his recordings, praised the rhythmic acuity, superb internal balance in the orchestra and the precision of attack he achieved, comparing his approach with [Paul Paray](/source/Paul_Paray) and [Pierre Monteux](/source/Pierre_Monteux).<ref name="mousnier">Mousnier, J-P. ''Pierre Monteux''. L’Harmattan, Paris and Montréal, 1999, p296-7.</ref>

He had conducted engagements with the [Royal Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/Royal_Philharmonic_Orchestra), the [Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra](/source/Royal_Liverpool_Philharmonic), and the [BBC Symphony Orchestra](/source/BBC_Symphony_Orchestra).  He became Director of Music at the [Chichester Festival Theatre](/source/Chichester_Festival_Theatre) in 1962.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 Jan 1962 |title=Stars will lead new festival |work=The Stage |page=1}}</ref>

Herbert Menges was appointed an Officer of the [Order of the British Empire](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1963.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=42870 |date=28 December 1962 |pages=1–34   |supp=y}}</ref> He died on 20 February 1972, in [London](/source/London), aged 69.<ref>[http://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/search?search=herbert+menges Royal Academy of Music Search results for: herbert menges], accessed 15 March 2015.</ref> His name now appears as a tribute on some Brighton and Hove buses.<ref name=buses/>

Many of his letters and scores are held at [McMaster University](/source/McMaster_University) Library, [Hamilton, Ontario](/source/Hamilton%2C_Ontario), [Canada](/source/Canada).<ref name=archivaria/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://library.mcmaster.ca/archives/findaids/findaids/m/menges.htm |title=McMaster University |access-date=10 August 2010 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927211348/http://library.mcmaster.ca/archives/findaids/findaids/m/menges.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He was married in 1935 to Evelyn Stiebel and had three children, Nicholas, [Christopher](/source/Chris_Menges) (an Academy Award-winning cinematographer) and Susannah.<ref name="Brook"/>

==Recordings==
Herbert Menges made a number of recordings, almost all of which were of concertante works:
* [Ludwig van Beethoven](/source/Ludwig_van_Beethoven): Piano Concertos No. 1-5, [Philharmonia Orchestra](/source/Philharmonia_Orchestra), [Solomon](/source/Solomon_(pianist))<ref name="presto1"/>
* [Johannes Brahms](/source/Johannes_Brahms), [Violin Concerto in D](/source/Violin_Concerto_(Brahms)), [London Symphony Orchestra](/source/London_Symphony_Orchestra), [Joseph Szigeti](/source/Joseph_Szigeti)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=285111 |title=maniadb |access-date=10 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721214456/http://www.maniadb.com/album.asp?a=285111 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [Benjamin Britten](/source/Benjamin_Britten), Piano Concerto, [Jacques Abram](/source/Jacques_Abram), Philharmonia Orchestra, recorded Abbey Rd, 25 January 1956<ref name="mousnier"/> 
* [Edvard Grieg](/source/Edvard_Grieg), [Piano Concerto in A minor](/source/Piano_Concerto_(Grieg)), [Moura Lympany](/source/Moura_Lympany)
* Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Philharmonia Orchestra, Solomon <!-- EMI HMV ASD 272 -->
* [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](/source/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart): Piano Concertos Nos. 23 and 24, Philharmonia Orchestra, Solomon<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=554870 |title=Classics Online |access-date=10 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311195104/http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=554870 |archive-date=11 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=1646 Audiophile Audition]</ref>
* [Sergei Prokofiev](/source/Sergei_Prokofiev), [Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor](/source/Piano_Concerto_No._2_(Prokofiev)), Philharmonia Orchestra, [Shura Cherkassky](/source/Shura_Cherkassky)<ref name=MWI>[http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/Oct07/Cherkassky_mm0132.htm Music Web International]</ref>
* Prokofiev, [Violin Concerto No. 1](/source/Violin_Concerto_No._1_(Prokofiev)), London Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Szigeti<ref>[http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/fontand.html Sound Fountain]</ref>
* [Sergei Rachmaninoff](/source/Sergei_Rachmaninoff), [Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini](/source/Rhapsody_on_a_Theme_of_Paganini), Shura Cherkassky<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.firsthandrecords.com/Shura%20Cherkassky%20reviews.htm |title=First Hand Records |access-date=10 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622170151/http://www.firsthandrecords.com/Shura%20Cherkassky%20reviews.htm |archive-date=22 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [Alan Rawsthorne](/source/Alan_Rawsthorne), Piano Concerto No. 1, Philharmonia Orchestra, Moura Lympany<ref name="charm"/>
* [Edmund Rubbra](/source/Edmund_Rubbra), Piano Concerto in G, Op. 55, Philharmonia Orchestra, Jacques Abram
* [Robert Schumann](/source/Robert_Schumann): [Piano Concerto in A minor](/source/Piano_Concerto_(Schumann)), Philharmonia Orchestra, Solomon<ref name="charm"/>
* [Dmitri Shostakovich](/source/Dmitri_Shostakovich), [Piano Concerto No. 1](/source/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Shostakovich)) (for piano, trumpet and strings), Philharmonia Orchestra, Shura Cherkassky<ref name=MWI/>
* [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky](/source/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky): [Piano Concerto No. 1 in B{{music|flat}} minor](/source/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Tchaikovsky)), London Symphony Orchestra, [Byron Janis](/source/Byron_Janis)<ref name="charm"/>
* Tchaikovsky: [Variations on a Rococo Theme](/source/Variations_on_a_Rococo_Theme), Philharmonia Orchestra, [Paul Tortelier](/source/Paul_Tortelier)<ref name="charm"/>
* [Ralph Vaughan Williams](/source/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams): [''The Wasps'', overture](/source/The_Wasps_(Vaughan_Williams)), London Symphony Orchestra<ref name="charm">CHARM Discography, Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music, <http://www.charm.kcl.ac.uk/about/about_structure>, accessed 11 June 2012.</ref>
* [Peter Warlock](/source/Peter_Warlock), Capriol Suite, Philharmonia Orchestra (His Master's Voice – 7EP 7063)
* Holst: [St Paul's Suite](/source/St_Paul's_Suite), Philharmonia Orchestra (His Master's Voice – 7EP 7054)<ref>THE PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA - A NEW DISCOGRAPHY compiled by Brian Godfrey, p134.</ref>
* Herbert Menges: Suite of incidental Music to the play 'Richard of Bordeaux' (1932) performed by instrumental septet conducted by Menges with [Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies](/source/Gwen_Ffrangcon-Davies) (soprano) Decca K 727 (Side 1 only).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IBDB name|12134}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menges, Herbert}}
Category:1902 births
Category:1972 deaths
Category:English male conductors (music)
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:People from Hove
Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music
Category:20th-century English conductors (music)
Category:20th-century English classical composers
Category:20th-century English male composers
Category:English people of German descent
Category:English male classical composers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Herbert Menges](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Menges) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Menges?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.