Sinfonia da Requiem

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Sinfonia da Requiem. Orch. work in 3 movts., Op.20, by Britten, comp. 1940 in memory of his parents. F.p. NY 1941, London 1942. Commissioned by Japanese Govt. to celebrate (spurious) 2,600th anniversary of Mikado's dynasty in 1940, and rejected because of work's reference to terms from RC liturgy. Autograph score discovered in Japan in 1987. Britten revised finale in providing new full score for NY première. F.p. orig. vers., Birmingham 1989, cond. Rattle.