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Albert ArlenTurkish-Australian pianist, composer, actor and playwright
Date of Birth: 10.01.1905
Country:  Australia |
Content:
Biography of Albert Arlen
Albert Arlen, born Albert Aarons in 1905 in Sydney, Australia, was a Turkish-Australian pianist, composer, actor, and playwright. His parents were Turkish immigrants. Albert received his education at Cleveland Street Public School and later attended Crown Street High School. In 1924, he graduated from the New South Wales State Conservatorium and then went on to study at the famous École Normale de Musique de Paris.
Early Career
After completing his studies in Paris, Albert Arlen moved to London, where he worked on repertoire for West End and composed his own musical plays and compositions. In 1937, he created 'The Son of the Grand Eunuch', which gained recognition in the music industry.
World War II
In 1939, Albert Arlen joined the Royal Air Force and served as a pilot in the Middle and Far East. His experiences during the war inspired him to create a concerto for piano and orchestra titled 'Alamein Concerto', which was first performed in Cairo in 1944. After the war, Arlen was stationed in Singapore, where he wrote musical revues that were highly regarded in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya, and Ceylon.
Personal Life
In 1948, Albert Aarons officially changed his surname to 'Arlen'. In 1949, he married actress, singer, and playwright Nancy Brown, well-known for her role in the musical 'Old Chelsea'. Together, Albert and Nancy returned to Australia and settled in Canberra. They started working on the musical adaptation of 'The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke' by Australian poet and novelist C.J. Dennis. In the early 1950s, they traveled to England to promote their show but faced limited success and eventually returned to Australia. It wasn't until March 1961 that 'The Sentimental Bloke' was staged at the Albert Hall in Canberra. The musical was a success and went on to be performed in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, and New Zealand.
Legacy and Later Years
Apart from his work on 'The Sentimental Bloke', Albert Arlen is known for creating music for numerous songs, including 'Clancy of the Overflow' and 'The Rivetter'. He also wrote two other musicals, 'The Girl from the Snowy' and 'Marriages Are Made in Heaven', although they did not achieve the same level of success as 'The Sentimental Bloke'. Albert Arlen's wife, Nancy Brown, published her autobiography, 'The Black Sheep of the Brown family: A Magic Life!', in 1991. Albert Arlen passed away at the age of 88 on March 24, 1993, in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
