Arthur Bliss
A British composer who channeled the chaos of war into a bold, colorful musical language that defined a national sound.
1891–1975 (age 84)·English composer and conductor·Birthday: August 2·The Lost Generation
Biography
Arthur Bliss's music is a direct reflection of a life upended by the twentieth century. His studies at Cambridge and the Royal College of Music were shattered by World War I, where he served as an infantry officer and was wounded at the Somme. Returning, he became a standard-bearer for a new, jagged modernism with works like 'A Colour Symphony,' before his style mellowed into a grand, ceremonial romanticism. Appointed Master of the Queen's Music in 1953, he provided the soundtrack for the British monarchy's public life for over two decades, composing marches and odes. His output, from blistering chamber music to film scores for Alexander Korda, captures the journey of a man and a nation from trauma to tradition.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Arthur was born in 1891, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1891
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1891Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1896Started school
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1904Became a teenager
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could drive
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could vote
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Turned 21
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1921Turned 30
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1931Turned 40
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 50
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 60
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 70
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 80
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1975Died at 84
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Key Achievements
- Composed 'A Colour Symphony' (1922), a landmark modernist work that established his early reputation.
- Served as Master of the Queen's Music from 1953 until his death, composing official royal works.
- Wrote the score for the 1936 film 'Things to Come,' a pioneering and influential science-fiction soundtrack.
- His ballet 'Checkmate' (1937) for the Vic-Wells Ballet remains a staple of the British repertoire.
- Completed an opera, 'The Olympians,' with libretto by J. B. Priestley, which premiered at Covent Garden in 1949.
Did You Know?
He was the first composer to write a score for a British talking picture ('The Shape of Things to Come' documentary).
During World War I, he fought in the Battle of the Somme and was mentioned in dispatches.
He succeeded Sir Arnold Bax as Master of the Queen's Music.
His father was American, and Bliss spent a formative period teaching and composing in California.
“Music is a communication, and the composer must have something to communicate.”
