2023 (digital colourised)
1972
Bernard Benoliel was primarily a Classical Music Composer. He also worked for many years in the The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (VWML) as a musicologist and librarian.
Hag met Bernard in London in the early 1970’s through his partner Valerie whom worked at The Sunday Times with Bruce the partner of Bernard. They became friends and Hag shot these images in John S Clarkes studio in Kensington where Hag was then working as his assistant.
Moving on 50 years after loosing touch with each other to 2021 Hag received an email from Bruce asking if he still had these negatives as he was recording all of Bernard’s music for future release after his untimely departure from this world.
Bruce was pleasantly surprised to receive a quick response with a set of quick copies of all the contact sheets in Hags return message.
‘Life is extraordinary. When you receive an email from a very old friend (Bruce Walter Roberts) whom you haven’t seen for 40 odd years who wishes to use your portraits for a CD cover & booklet which you shot 43 years ago. They were the only Studio portraits of Bernard Benoliel ever taken’. Hag 2021
Here is a link to Bernards music publisher Donemus
Here is a link to ‘Neue Deutschlandfunk-Produktionf ‘ of Bernards music
‘His name is hardly publicized: Bernard Benoliel was born in Detroit in 1943 and died in Amsterdam in 2017. The composer, musicologist and librarian had his main places of activity in England and Holland. The Utrecht formation Insomnio recorded its ensemble music on Deutschlandfunk.’
‘His parents were a French emigrant and the daughter of an Italian emigrant. His liking for Beethoven set the course for the professional field of music. After all, private studies with Stefan Wolpe in the 1960s were decisive for composing. Bernard Benoliel’s sound ideas clearly follow late romantic traditions, even though serial techniques are used. Benoliel composed little and very slowly. In its complexity, his music denies the broader public taste. The author had a large part of the recordings made during his lifetime destroyed. With the recordings made in the Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal at the beginning of 2020, the Utrecht Ensemble Insomnio takes a new look at the little-known composer.’
These images are not included in Hags book ‘How things Are’
For enquiries or further information please email
Created by Hag
Collage Montage Surreal Photography.
