Edward Greenfield

Edward Harry GreenfieldOBE(3 July 1928 – 1 July 2015) was an English music critic and broadcaster.

Early life

Edward Greenfield was born inWestcliff-on-Sea,Essex. His father, Percy Greenfield, was a manager in a labour exchange, while his mother, Mabel, was a clerk. He was briefly evacuated toBelperin Derbyshire when theSecond World Warbegan.^[1]He attendedWestcliff High School for Boys,and then did two years of National Service.^[2]During his service, which began in 1947, he was with the Royal Army Educational Corps, where he was promoted to sergeant. He was deployed with the British Army of the Rhine in Germany.^[1]

He went toTrinity Hall, Cambridge,to study modern languages,^[1]but ended up graduating in law.^[3]

Career

Greenfield joinedThe Manchester Guardianin 1953, where he began as a filing clerk. He then became a lobby correspondent in theHouse of Commons.^[3]

He was a record critic for the newspaper from 1955, a music critic from 1964, and waschief music criticfrom 1977 until his retirement in 1993. He contributed toGramophonemagazine from 1960, and was joint editor ofThe Stereo Record Guideafter 1960.^[2]

A regular broadcaster on theBBC,he presented classical music programmes on theWorld Service,including his selection of music and requests onThe Greenfield Collection,^[1]and was a regular contributor to theBuilding a Libraryfeature of Radio 3'sRecord Reviewfor many years.

Greenfield was appointedOBEin 1994.^[2]In 2002 he was elected as the Master of theArt Workers' Guild.^[4]

Later life and death

In 2010, Greenfield entered into a civil partnership with Paul Westcott, a press officer atChandos Records.^[1]

In his later years, he suffered from an undiagnosed condition that affected his balance and rendered him immobile. He died at his home inSpitalfields,London, on 1 July 2015, two days before his 87th birthday.^[5]^[2]Paul Westcott died in December 2022.

Books

Puccini – Keeper Of The Seal.Arrow Books. 1958.
Joan Sutherland.Ian Allan. 1972.ISBN 978-0711003187.
André Previn.New York Drake. 1973.ISBN 978-0877495277.
(withIvan March,Paul Czajkowski, Robert Layton)Layton, Robert; Greenfield, Edward (2012).The Penguin Guide to the 1000 Finest Classical Recordings.Penguin.ISBN 978-0141399751.
Portrait Gallery: A Life in Classical Music.Elliott and Thompson. 2014.ISBN 978-1909653580.

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eMcKie, David; Bowen, Meirion (2 July 2015)."Edward Greenfield obituary".The Guardian.
^^a ^b ^c ^d"Edward Greenfield, a much-loved Gramophone critic for 55 years, died yesterday at his home in Spitalfields, aged 87".Gramophone.2 July 2015.
^^a ^bWalsh, Stephen (8 February 2014)."Portrait of a Guardian music critic".The Spectator.Retrieved2 July2015.
^"Edward Greenfield, writer – obituary".The Daily Telegraph.3 July 2015.Retrieved18 January2023.
^"So Long, Edward Greenfield".Spitalfields Life. 2 July 2015.Retrieved2 July2015.

External links

"Edward Greenfield profile".The Guardian.

[guardianobit-1] McKie, David; Bowen, Meirion (2 July 2015)."Edward Greenfield obituary".The Guardian.

[gramophone-2] "Edward Greenfield, a much-loved Gramophone critic for 55 years, died yesterday at his home in Spitalfields, aged 87".Gramophone.2 July 2015.

[spectator-3] Walsh, Stephen (8 February 2014)."Portrait of a Guardian music critic".The Spectator.Retrieved2 July2015.

[4] "Edward Greenfield, writer – obituary".The Daily Telegraph.3 July 2015.Retrieved18 January2023.

[spitalfields-5] "So Long, Edward Greenfield".Spitalfields Life. 2 July 2015.Retrieved2 July2015.

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