Nyman, Michael 1944-

PERSONAL

Full name, Michael Lawrence Nyman; born March 23, 1944, in London, England; son of Mark and Jeannette Nyman; married Aet Toome, May 16, 1970; children: Molly, additional daughter. Education: Studied musicology with Thurston Dart, Kings College, London, 1964-67; Royal Academy of Music (studied under Alan Bush), B. Mus. (with honors), 1965; attended Conservatoire and Folklore Institute, Bucharest, Romania, 1965-66.

Addresses:

Manager—Derek Power Company, 818 N. Doheny Dr., Suite 1003, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Career:

Composer, music director, musician, and writer. Worked as a music critic for Spectator, New Statesman, and The Listener, 1968-78; MN Records, founder, 2005; also worked as a music lecturer. Campiello Band (later known as the Michael Nyman Band), founder, 1977; also performed with such groups as Flying Lizards, Scratch Orchestra, and Portsmouth Sinfonia.

Member:

Association of Professional Composers.

Awards, Honors:

Catalonian International Film Festival Award, best original soundtrack, 1989, for The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover; Cesar Award nomination, best music written for a film, Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema, 1990, for Monsieur Hire; named fellow of Royal Academy of Music, 1991; Australian Film Institute Award, best original music score, 1993, Film Award nomination, best score, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Golden Globe Award nomination, best original score—motion picture, and Chicago Film Critics Association Award, best score, 1994, all for The Piano; Catalonian International Film Festival Award, best original soundtrack, 1997, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best original score—motion picture, 1998, both for Gattaca; Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Golden Globe Award nomination, best original score—motion picture, 2000, both for The End of the Affair; Saturn Award nomination (with Damon Albarn), best music, Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Films, Golden Satellite Award nomination (with Albarn), best original score, 2000, both for Ravenous; Polish Film Festival Award, best score, 2005, Eagle Award nomination, best film score, Polish Film Awards, 2006, both for Jestem.

CREDITS

Film Work:

Director, Love Love Love, 1968.

Pianist and harmonium player, A Walk Through H, 1973.

Music arranger, Keep It Up Downstairs, 1976.

Conductor, Vertical Features Remake, 1978.

Conductor, 1-100, 1978.

Conductor, musician, and still photographer, The Falls, 1980.

Music supervisor, harpsichord, and pianist, The Draughtsman's Contract, United Artists, 1982.

Conductor, Frozen Music, 1983.

Technical advisor (music), Modern American Composers I, 1984.

Musician, harpsichord, A Zed & Two Noughts (also known as A Zoo: A Zed & Two Noughts), Skouras, 1985.

Music director and pianist, Drowning by Numbers, Vendex, 1988.

Music director and pianist, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (also known as Le Cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant and Spica), Erato, 1989.

Conductor and pianist, Monsieur Hire (also known as M. Hire), 1989.

Music director and pianist, Prospero's Books (also known as L ltima tempesta), Miramax, 1991.

Conductor, The Piano (also known as La lecon de piano), 1993.

Music producer and pianist, A la folie (also known as Alice et Elsa and Six Days, Six Nights), New Light Films, 1994.

Music producer, Der Unhold (also known as The Ogre and Le Roi des aulnes), Kino International, 1996.

(Uncredited) Conductor, Gattaca, 1997.

Music producer, pianist, and conductor, Wonderland, USA Films, 1999.

Music arranger (Stephen Foster and Philip Phile pieces), conductor, and orchestrator, Ravenous (also known as Voraz), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999.

Pianist, Nabbie no koi (also known as Nabbie's Love), 1999.

Conductor, The End of the Affair, 1999.

Score music performer, The Claim (also known as Le maitre de Kingdom Come and Redemption), United Artists, 2000.

Executive producer, Subterranian, 2001.

Conductor and music producer, The Libertine, Weinstein Company, 2004.

Song arranger and music arranger, A Cock and Bull Story (also known as Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story), Picturehouse Entertainment, 2005.

Film Appearances:

Himself, I'll Stake My Cremona to a Jew's Trump, 1986.

The Michael Nyman Songbook (documentary), London Records, 1992.

Himself, Colonna sonora (documentary), 1992.

Contact, Hell's Paradox, 1995.

Himself, 9 Songs, Tartan USA, 2004.

Television Work; Miniseries:

Orchestrator, Nuremberg, TNT, 2000.

Television Work; Movies:

Conductor, The Cold Room (also known as The Prisoner), HBO, 1984.

Pianist, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, 1987.

Director, I Sold My Cadillac to Diana Dors: The Edmundo Ros Story, 2000.

Television Work; Specials:

Musical advisor, Four American Composers, 1983.

Television Appearances; Movies:

(Uncredited) Court pianist, Not Mozart: Letters, Riddles, and Writs, BBC, 1991.

Man in crowd, The Final Score, 1992.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Der Klang der bilder, 1995.

The pianist, Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dali, BBC, 2002.

Live Earth (also known as Live Earth 7.7.07, Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Criss, and SOS: The Movement for a Climate in Crisis), 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Court pianist, "Letters, Riddles and Writs," Not Mozart, BBC-TV, 1991.

"Michael Nyman and Man from Mazda," The Works, BBC, 1997.

Familia Comtal, 2005.

Sunday AM, 2005.

Miradas 2, 2006.

B 360 degrees, 2006.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

(With Michael Nyman Band) Decay Music, 1976.

English Experimental Music, 1977.

Masterwork Samples, 1979.

From Brussels with Love, 1980.

Miniatures, 1980.

Michael Nyman, Sheet, 1981.

The Kiss and Other Movements, Caroline, 1985.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, CBS Masterworks, 1987.

And Do They Do/Zoo Caprices, That's Entertainment Records,1989.

La traveresee de Paris, 1989.

Out of the Ruins, Silva Screen, 1989.

The Nyman/Greenaway Soundtracks, 1989.

String Quartet Nos 1-3, London, 1991.

The Essential Michael Nyman Band, London, 1992.

Michael Nyman for Yohji Yamamoto, 1993.

Time Will Pronounce, 1993.

The Convertibility of Lute Strings, Argo, 1993.

For John Cage, Argo, 1993.

Goodbye Frankie, Goodbye Benny, Argo, 1993.

Michael Nyman—Live, 1994.

Noises, Sounds, and Sweet Airs, 1994.

Taking a Line for a Second Walk, 1994.

The Piano Concerto/MGV, 1994.

Plus que Tango, 1995.

The Piano Concerto/On the Fiddle/Prospero's Books, 1995.

The Piano Concerto and Other Themes, 1995.

After Extra Time, 1996.

Century XXI UK N-Z, 1996.

Concertos, 1997.

Enemy Zero, 1997.

The Very Best of Michael Nyman, 1997.

An Eye for a Difference, 1998.

Federico Garcia Lorca—Da Granada a la Luna, 1998.

Practical Magic, 1998.

Strong on Oaks, Strong on the Causes of Oaks, 1998.

The Piano Concerto/Where the Bee Dances, 1998.

The Suit and the Photograph, 1998.

Twentieth Century Blues—The Songs of Noel Coward, 1998.

Michael Nyman Band Live in Concert, 1999.

Nyman & Greenaway, 1999.

The Commissar Vanishes, 1999.

Minatures 2, 2000.

The Very Best of Michael Nyman Film Music 1980-2001, 2001.

Facing Goya, 2002.

String Quartets Nos. 2-4, 2002.

Sangam—Michael Nyman Meets Indian Masters, 2003.

Also recorded The Draughtsman's Contract, A Zed and Two Noughts, Drowning by Numbers, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, Bell Set Number One, and The Fourth Wall, all Virgin; Ariel Songs: Come and Go; While You Here Do Snoring Lie; Full Fathom Five, I Am an Unusual Thing, and Lorgie Parisienne, all Decca; Prospero's Books, London.

WRITINGS

Film Scores:

5 Postcards from Capital Cities, 1967.

Keep It Up Downstairs, 1976.

Goole by Numbers, 1976.

A Walk through H (also known as The Re-Incarnation of an Ornithologist), 1976.

Tom Phillips, 1977.

1-100, 1978.

Vertical Features Remake, 1978.

Zandra Rhodes (also known as Insight: Zandra Rhodes), 1979.

The Falls, 1980.

Terence Conran (also known as Insight: Terence Conran), 1981.

The Draughtsman's Contract, United Artists, 1982.

Frozen Music, 1983.

Nelly's Version, 1983.

The Coastline (also known as The Sea in Their Blood), 1983.

Making a Splash, 1984.

L' Ange frenetique, 1985.

A Zed and Two Noughts (also known as A Zoo: A Zed and Two Noughts), Skouras, 1985.

The Kiss, 1985.

Inside Rooms: 26 Bathrooms, London & Oxfordshire, 1985 (also known as 26 Bathrooms), 1985.

Ballet Mechanique (also known as Charlot presente le ballet mecanique), 1986.

The Disputation, 1986.

Le Miracule, 1986.

I'll Stake My Cremona to a Jew's Trump, 1986.

Photographic Exhibits, 1987.

Fear of Drowning, 1988.

Drowning by Numbers, Vendex, 1988.

Death in the Seine (also known as Les Morts de la Seine), 1989.

Monsieur Hire (also known as M. Hire), Orion, 1989.

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (also known as Le Cuisinier, le voleur, sa femme et son amant and Spica), Erato, 1989.

Hubert Bals Handshake, 1989.

Le Mari de la coiffeuse (also known as The Hairdresser's Husband), 1990.

Men of Steel, 1990.

Prospero's Books (also known as L ltima tempesta), Miramax, 1991.

Les Enfants volants (also known as The Flying Children), 1991.

Ich war ein glucklicher Mensch, 1991.

The Michael Nyman Songbook, London Records, 1992.

The Fall of Icarus, 1992.

The Piano (also known as La Lecon de piano), Miramax, 1993.

A la folie (also known as Alice et Elsa and Six Days, Six Nights), New Light Films, 1994.

Mesmer, Mayfair Entertainment/Nomadic Pictures, 1994.

Carrington, 1995.

Anne no nikki (also known as The Diary of Anne Frank), AF Production, 1995.

Der Unhold (also known as The Ogre and Le Roi des aulnes), Kino International, 1996.

Gattaca, Columbia, 1997.

Anzar, 1997.

Ravenous (also known as Voraz), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999.

How to Make Dhyrak: A Dramatic Work for Three Players and Camera, Truncated with Only Two Players (music adapted from Ravenous), 1999.

Wonderland, USA Films, 1999.

The End of the Affair, Columbia, 1999.

Nabbie no koi (also known as Nabbie's Love), 1999.

The Claim (also known as Le maitre de Kingdom Come and Redemption), United Artists, 2000.

Chelovek s kino-apparatom (also known as Living Russia, or The Man with a Camera, The Man with a Movie Camera, and The Man with the Movie Camera), 2001.

Subterrain, 2001.

Haute fidelitie (short), 2001.

24 heures de la vie d'une femme (also known as 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman), 2002.

The Actors, Miramax, 2003.

Nathalie …, Koch Lorber Films, 2003.

Luminal, K Films, 2004.

The Libertine, Weinstein Company, 2004.

Detroit: Ruin of a City (documentary), Bristol Docs, 2005.

Jestem (also known as I Am), Dream Entertainment, 2005.

Close to Greenaway (documentary short), 2005.

Capturing "The Libertine" (documentary short), Weinstein Company, 2006.

Never Forever, Prime Media, 2007.

Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo (also known as Theresa: The Body of Christ), 2007.

Genova, 2007.

Therese Raquin, 2008.

Film Music; Other:

Songs, Keep It Up Downstairs, 1976.

Title music, Tom Phillips, 1977.

Additional music, Brimstone and Treacle, 1982.

Song ("Water Dances"), La Stanza del figlio (also known as The Son's Room), Bac Films, 2001.

Songs, 9 Songs, Tartan USA, 2004.

Music ("If," "Rochester's Farewell"), The Libertine, Weinstein Company, 2004.

Television Music; Series:

Fairly Secret Army, syndicated, 1984.

Fairly Secret Army Series 2, 1987.

Theme song, Titch, CiTV, 1998.

Television Music; Miniseries:

Nuremberg, TNT, 2000.

Television Music; Movies:

Nelly's Version, 1983.

The Cold Room (also known as The Prisoner), HBO, 1984.

The Disputatoin, 1986.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, 1987.

Death in the Seine (also known as Les mortes de la Seine), 1988.

Not Mozart: Letters, Riddles and Writs, 1991.

The Final Score, 1992.

Act Without Words I, 2000.

Television Music; Specials:

Act of God, Thames, 1980.

Fairly Secret Army, 1987.

Television Movies:

(Adapter) The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, 1987.

Television Music; Specials:

Dancing in Numbers, Channel 4, 1988.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, ICA-TV, 1987.

Act without Words 1, 2000.

Television Music; Episodic:

"Shanghai: Sin nuan hao," Arsenal Atlas, 1987.

"Canton: Fens, yuans I renminbis," Arsenal Atlas, 1987.

"Touch the Earth," Danceworks, BBC2-TV, 1988.

"Out of the Ruins," 40 Minutes, BBC-TV, 1989.

"Men of Steel," Inside Story, BBC-TV, 1990.

"Letters, Riddles and Writs" (opera), Not Mozart, BBC-TV, 1991.

Also scored "Fela Kuti," Arsenal.

Operas:

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 1986.

La Princesse de Milan (dance opera; written for a ballet by Karine Saporta; based on text from William Shakespeare's "The Tempest"), Avignon Festival, 1991.

(With Jeremy Newson) Letters, Riddles and Writs, Shaw Theatre, London, 1992.

Dance Music:

(With Paul Richards and Bruce McLean) The Masterwork/Award-Winning Fishknife (performance art/theatre work), Riverside Studios, London, 1979.

A Broken Set of Rules (ballet), Royal Opera House, London, 1984.

Portraits in Reflection (ballet), Lucinda Child's Dance Company, first concert performance, Almeida Theatre, London, 1985 first dance performance, Joyce Theatre, New York City, 1986.

And Do They Do (ballet), London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 1986.

Touch the Earth (ballet), Rosemary Butcher Dance Company, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London, 1987.

Miniatures (solo dance work), The Place Theatre, London, 1988.

Configurations (for three or four dancers), Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1989.

(With Frederic Flamand and Fabrizio Plessi) The Fall of Icarus, Theatre de le Monnaie, Brussels, Belgium, 1989.

(With Francois Raffinot) Garden Party, first produced in Montpellier, France, 1990.

Video Game Scores:

Enemy Zero, 1996.

Books:

Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond, Schirmer Books, 1974.

Also contributor to magazines and journals, including The Listener, Studio International, Spectator, and New Statesman.

ADAPTATIONS

Compositions by Nyman recorded by others include 1-100, Piano Circus, London; Polish Love Song, Mary Wiegold/The Composers Ensemble, NMC; and Where the Bee Dances, John Harle/Bournemouth Sinfonietta, London; music from A Zed and Two Noughts used in the television series Ryori no tetsujin (also known as Iron Chef).

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

New Statesman, November 14, 1986, p. 26.

New York Times, March 15, 1992, p. H36.

Time, October 26, 1987, p. 126.

Electronic:

Michael Nyman Website,http://www.michaelnyman.com, October 25, 2007.

Nyman, Michael (1944– ) English composer. In his early career, influenced by John Cage, he explored experimental music. His works include operas, notably The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (1986), but he is best known for his film scores. These include The Draughtsman's Contract (1982), Prospero's Books (1991) and The Piano (1993). His accessible musical style is characterized by the repetition and variation of harmonic, melodic and rhythmic patterns.