Britten, (Edward) Benjamin

Britten, (Edward) Benjamin ( Lord Britten of Aldeburgh) (b Lowestoft, 1913; d Aldeburgh, 1976). Eng. composer, pianist, conductor. His birth on St Cecilia's Day, 22 Nov., was a happy augury for the career of one of Britain's greatest composers. Essentially a vocal composer, his operas and song-cycles won wide int. acceptance. He never abandoned the principles of tonality and was a ‘modern’ composer who reached a mass audience and a conservative whose originality no radical would sensibly deny. He shared with his predecessors Parry, Vaughan Williams, and Holst, an intense interest in the work of amateurs and children. His brilliant gifts as a pianist and cond., coupled with the virtuoso nature of his inventiveness, also led him to compose mus. for great performers such as the cellist Rostropovich and the singers Vishnevskaya, Fischer-Dieskau, and Janet Baker. The greatest personal influence on his mus. was his friendship with the tenor Peter Pears, for whom he comp. many operatic and vocal roles.

Britten's mus. gifts became apparent at an early stage. In sch. holidays he had lessons from Harold Samuel (pf.) and Frank Bridge (comp.); the influence of Bridge in particular was strong and lasting. Britten was at RCM 1930–3, but found mus. atmosphere uncongenial and resented official refusal to allow him to study with Berg in Vienna. Studied pf. with Benjamin and comp. with Ireland. His astonishing early works were pubd., incl. the Sinfonietta and A Boy was Born, and his song-cycle with orch. Our Hunting Fathers (text compiled and partly written by Auden) was perf. at Norwich Fest. 1936. He worked for the G.P.O. Film Unit, writing mus. for a dozen short documentaries, the best known being Coal Face and Night Mail (both 1936). In 1937, for the Boyd Neel String Orch.'s concert at the Salzburg Fest., he wrote the Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge. He and Pears followed their friend the poet Auden to N. Amer. in 1939, staying until 1942. While in NY, f.ps. of his Vn. Conc. (1939) and Sinfonia da Requiem (1940) were given in Carnegie Hall under Barbirolli. Returning to Eng., Britten settled at Snape and Aldeburgh, Suffolk. His opera Peter Grimes was perf. at SW on 7 June 1945, a day of importance for Eng. mus. comparable with the f.p. of Elgar's Enigma Variations in June 1899. His interest in chamber opera led in 1947 to foundation of the EOG (later EMT) and his desire for a fest. rooted in Eng. village life and the work of amateurs yet capable of enticing int. performers led to the Aldeburgh Festival, first held in 1948. Thereafter his career was uneventful outwardly except for the prolific output of works of all kinds, in many of which he took part as cond. or pianist. He excelled not only in his own mus.: as an accompanist in Schubert he was second to none (Salzburg Fest. 1952, recital with Pears), he played and cond. Mozart superbly, and cond. major works by Bach, Mahler, Elgar, Schumann, and others. The Aldeburgh Fest. also featured neglected works by composers whom Britten and his colleagues deemed to deserve reappraisal. After a major heart operation in 1973 his activities were much reduced. CH 1953, OM 1965. First composer to be created life peer ( Lord Britten of Aldeburgh, 1976). ( Lord Berners was a hereditary peer.)

A major strength of Britten's art, which contributes to the dramatic effectiveness of his operas, is his gift for finding the apt, simple, quickly memorable, and not thereafter easily forgotten phrase to illustrate a point or situation. Another feature is his uncanny ability to capture the imagination and interest of children. Such works as Let's Make an Opera, Noye's Fludde, and Saint Nicolas testify to this. He was much preoccupied with themes of innocence destroyed, of the persecution of the ‘outsider’ in society (stemming from his own pacifism and conscientious objection to war service), and of cruelty. These themes found their most impressive outlet in the operas Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw, and Owen Wingrave, the two last being adaptations by Myfanwy Piper of Henry James. If these, and such works as the great War Requiem, represent the dark side of his musical personality, the 1953 Coronation opera Gloriana (a failure at first), his splendid Midsummer Night's Dream, the comedy Albert Herring, and a host of choral and instrumental works such as the pf. conc., the Cantata Academica, and the Spring Symphony show a capacity for joy. He invented a new genre of music theatre in the 3 church parables, the first (Curlew River) being an adaptation of a Japanese Noh play; his song-cycles, to Eng., Fr., It., Ger., and Russ. texts are magnificent word- settings; his 5 canticles are works of original insights; and his instrumental works, in particular the str. qts. and vc. suites, explore and stretch the players’ capacities without ceasing to be musical. Few composers have caught the public's imagination in their lifetime as vividly as did Britten; each new work was eagerly awaited and absorbed. Intensely practical, he won the devoted admiration of the artists for whom he wrote, and on his several visits to the Soviet Union formed a firm friendship with Shostakovich who ded. his 14th Sym. to him. If it is his operas, particularly Peter Grimes, with its evocation of early 19th-cent. Aldeburgh, which dominate his output, it is a mistake to overlook his genius in non-vocal forms. Prin. works are:OPERAS: Paul Bunyan, Op.17 (1940–1, rev. 1974); Peter Grimes, Op.33 (1945); The Rape of Lucretia, Op.37 (1946); Albert Herring, Op.39 (1947); The Beggar's Opera, Op.43 (new version of Gay's opera, 1948); Let's Make an Opera (The Little Sweep), Op.45 (1949); Billy Budd, Op.50 (1950–1, rev. 1960); Gloriana, Op.53 (1953); The Turn of the Screw, Op.54 (1954); Noye's Fludde, Op.59 (1958); A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op.64 (1959–60); Owen Wingrave, Op.85 (1971); Death in Venice, Op.88 (1973; orch. suite arr. S. Bedford, 1984).CHURCH PARABLES: Curlew River, Op.71 (1964); The Burning Fiery Furnace, Op.77 (1966); The Prodigal Son, Op.81 (1968).BALLET: The Prince of the Pagodas, Op.59 (1956).ORCH.: Sinfonietta, Op.1 (1932); A Simple Symphony, Op.4 (1933–4); Soirées musicales, Op.9 (arr. of Rossini, 1936); Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op.10 (1937); Mont Juic, Op.12 (suite of Catalan dances composed jointly with L. Berkeley, 1937); Canadian Carnival, Op.19 (1939); Young Apollo, Op.16, pf., str. qt., str. orch. (1939, withdrawn until 1979); Overture, Paul Bunyan (1940, rev. 1974, orch. C. Matthews 1977); Sinfonia da Requiem, Op.20 (1940); An American Overture, Op.27 (1941–2, f.p. 1983); Matinées musicales, Op.24 (arr. of Rossini, 1941); Prelude and Fugue, Op.29, for str. (1943); Four Sea Interludes, Op.33a, Passacaglia, Op.33b, from Peter Grimes (1944); Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell), Op.34 (1946); Occasional Overture, Op.38 (1946); Men of Goodwill (Variations on a Christmas Carol) (1947); Ov., The Building of the House, Op.79 (with ch. ad. lib.) (1967); Suite on English Folk Tunes (A Time There Was …), Op.90 (1974); Lachrymae, Op.48a, va. and str. (1976, arr. of 1950 work for va. and pf.); The Prince of the Pagodas, concert suite arr. from 1956 ballet by Lankester (1979).CONCERTOS: pf., Op.13 (1938, rev. 1945); vn., Op.15 (1939, rev. 1950 and 1958); Diversions on a Theme, Op.21, pf. left-hand (1940, rev. 1954); Scottish Ballad, Op.26, 2 pf. (1941); vc. sym., Op.68 (1963).BRASS: Russian Funeral, brass and perc. (1936).CHORAL: Hymn to the Virgin (1930, rev. 1934); A Boy Was Born, Op.3 (1933, rev. 1955); Friday Afternoons, Op.7 (children's vv.) (1933–5); Te Deum (1934); Advance Democracy (1938); Ballad of Heroes, Op.14 (1939); AMDG, 4 prayers and holy songs of G. M. Hopkins, for unacc. ch. (1939); Ceremony of Carols, Op.28, treble vv. and hp. (1942); Hymn to St Cecilia, Op.27 (1942); Rejoice in the Lamb, Op.30 (1943); Festival Te Deum, Op.32 (1944); Saint Nicolas, Op.24 (1947–8); Spring Symphony, Op.44 (1948–9); Five Flower Songs (1950); Missa Brevis, Op.63 (boys’ vv.); Cantata Academica, Op.62 (1959); Jubilate Deo and Venite (1961); War Requiem, Op.66 (1961); Cantata Misericordium, Op.69 (1963); Voices for Today, Op.75 (1965); The Golden Vanity, Op.78 (boys’ vv.) (1966); Children's Crusade, Op.82 (1968); Sacred and Profane, Op.91 (1975); Welcome Ode, Op.95 (young people's ch. and orch.) (1976).SOLO VOICE & ORCH.: Quatre chansons françaises (1928); Our Hunting Fathers, Op.8 (1936); Les Illuminations, Op.18 (1938–9); Serenade, Op.31 (1943); Nocturne, Op.60 (1958); Phaedra, Op.93 (1975).SOLO VOICE & PIANO (unless otherwise indicated): 3 Early Songs (1922–6); 4 Cabaret Songs (1937); On This Island, Op.11 (1937); Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Op.22 (1939–40); Folk-Song Arrangements, Vol. I British (1945), II French (1946), III British (1948); 9 Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op.35 (1945); Canticle I, My Beloved is Mine, Op.40 (1947); A Charm of Lullabies, Op.41 (1947); Canticle II, Abraham and Isaac, Op.51 (1952); Winter Words, Op.52 (1953); Canticle III, Still Falls the Rain, Op.55 (with hn. and pf.) (1954); Songs from the Chinese, Op.58 (v. and guitar) (1957); 6 Hölderlin-Fragmente, Op.61 (1958); Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, Op.74 (1965); The Poet's Echo, Op.76 (1965); Who are these Children?, Op.84 (1969); Canticle IV, Journey of the Magi, Op.86 (1971); Canticle V, The Death of St Narcissus, Op.89 (v. and hp.) (1974); A Birthday Hansel, Op.92 (v. and hp.) (1975); 8 Folk Song Arrangements (v. and harp) (1976).CHAMBER WORKS: Elegy, va. (1926); Rhapsody, str. qt. (1929); Quartettino, str. qt. (1930); Phantasy String Quintet (1932); Phantasy Oboe Quartet, Op.2 (1932); 2 Insect Pieces, ob., pf. (1935, Op. posth., f.p. 1979); Suite, Op.6, vn., pf. (1934–5); 3 Divertimenti, str. qt. (1936); Temporal Variations, ob., pf. (1936); Reveille, vn., pf. (1937); str. qt. No.1, Op.25 (1941), No.2, Op.36 (1945), No.3, Op.94 (1975); str. qt. in D (1931, rev. 1974); Lachrymae, Op.48, va., pf. (1950); 6 Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op.49, ob. (1951); vc. sonata, Op.65 (1961); Suite No.1 for vc., Op.72 (1964), No.2, Op.80 (1967), No.3, Op.87 (1971); Gemini Variations, Op.73 (fl., vn., and pf. 4 hands) (1965); Tema-Sacher, vc. (1976).PIANO: 5 Walztes (Waltzes) (1923–5, re-written 1969); Holiday Diary, Op.5 (1934); Sonatina Romantica (1940, f.p. Aldeburgh 1983); Night Piece (Notturno) (1963).2 PIANOS: Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca, Op.23, No.1 (1940); Mazurka Elegiaca, Op.23, No.2 (1941).ORGAN: Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria (1946).INCIDENTAL MUSIC FOR FILMS, PLAYS, AND RADIO: Coal Face, Night Mail (1936); The Ascent of F6, Love from a Stranger (1937); Hadrian's Wall (1938); The Sword in the Stone (1938; concert suite for chamber ens. ed. C. Matthews); Johnson Over Jordan (1939); The Sword in the Stone (1939); The Rescue (1943); This Way to the Tomb (1945); The Duchess of Malfi (1946); The Dark Tower (1946); Men of Goodwill (1947); and others.