Robert Russell Bennett
Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. In 1957 and 2008, Bennett received special Tony Awards recognizing his orchestrations for Broadway shows. Early in his career, he was often billed as Russell Bennett. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Kansas City (largest city in State of Missouri, United States), Died August 18, 1981 (New York City (most populous city in the United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1944
Roles Represented in DAHR: conductor, arranger, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-23645 | 10-in. | 1/26/1920 | Swanee | All Star Trio | Instrumental trio | arranger | |
| Victor | D4RB-0701 | 10-in. | 11/15/1944 | Beat out dat rhythm on a drum | Jay Blackton ; Gladys Swarthout | Mezzo-soprano solo, with mixed vocal chorus and orchestra | arranger | |
| OKeh | S-70815 | 10-in. | Aug. 1922 | The world is waiting for the sunrise | Markel's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | arranger | |
| Decca | L 3491 | 10-in. | 8/4/1944 | Oklahoma! (Symphonic selections) : Part 1 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3492 | 10-in. | 8/4/1944 | Oklahoma! (Symphonic selections) : Part 2 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3493 | 10-in. | 8/4/1944 | Oklahoma! (Symphonic selections) : Part 3 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3494 | 10-in. | 8/4/1944 | Oklahoma! (Symphonic selections) : Part 4 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3499 | 12-in. | 8/9/1944 | Suite from Porgy and Bess, part 1 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3503 | 12-in. | 8/9/1944 | Suite from Porgy and Bess: Part 2 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3504 | 12-in. | 8/9/1944 | Suite from Porgy and Bess: Part 3 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger | ||
| Decca | L 3505 | 12-in. | 8/9/1944 | Suite from Porgy and Bess: Part 4 | Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra | arranger |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bennett, Robert Russell," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103211.
Bennett, Robert Russell. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103211.
"Bennett, Robert Russell." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Robert Russell Bennett
Discogs: Robert Russell Bennett
Grove: Robert Russell Bennett
IMDb: Robert Russell Bennett
Britannica: Robert Russell Bennett
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bennett, Robert Russell, 1894-1981 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81074329
Wikidata: Robert Russell Bennett - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2054753
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/2655437
MusicBrainz: Robert Russell Bennett - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/551d0526-77ea-4d00-b345-19c3b590f95c
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/75336 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/75336
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.