The extraordinary fluency of Britten’s compositional technique was evident early on, encouraged by his adoring yet dominating mother, and honed into shape with lessons from Frank Bridge, and from John Ireland at the Royal College of Music; but it was somehow not quite decent to have such a precocious talent emerge from the provinces, and the consequent charges of cleverness from the critics haunted Britten … Britten was extraordinarily precocious; he composed songs before he could read or write. The British composer Benjamin Britten is well documented on disc and in print, frequently performed, lionized by many — especially those in the opera world — and often referred to as The Greatest British Composer Since Purcell (which either praises him or damns him with faint praise). Britten was born to middle-class parents, and received a conventional middle-class preparatory and public school education. He started composing as a child and by the age of 18 he'd written more … 33aI. Britten's gift for characterization was also displayed in the wide range of sharply defined subsidiary roles and in the orchestra's sea music. The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, composition for orchestra by British composer Benjamin Britten. Britten’s largest choral work is the War Requiem (1962) for choir and orchestra, based on the Latin requiem mass text and the poems of Wilfred Owen, who was killed in World War I. 64, A Midsummer Night's Dream, opera (libretto by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, after William Shakespeare), 1960; Op. 66, War Requiem, 1961; Op. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. English National Opera, London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES, English National Opera is a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 00426792).Charity Registered Number 257210. try's musical growth. Eng. Sunday MorningIII. Cabaret Songs. Works from his youth and works that he suppressed have been played and published; the late music can now be seen as a distinct phase, in some ways as forward looking and as influential as Stravinsky’s. He had completed a string quartet and an oratorio by age nine, and by the time he was 14 he had written a symphony, five more string quartets, ten piano sonatas, and several other smaller works. Benjamin Britten was an English composer, conductor and pianist, considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Other choral works include the Hymn to St. Cecilia (1942; text by Auden), Ceremony of Carols (1942), Rejoice in the Lamb (1943), St. Nicolas (1948), Spring Symphony (1949), and Voices for Today (1965; written for the United Nations’ 20th anniversary). Among his most recognisable operatic music are the orchestral Sea Interludes and Grimes’s ‘Now the Great Bear’ from Peter Grimes; Billy in the Darbies (Billy Budd); Miles’s ‘Malo song’ (The Turn of the Screw); Oberon’s ‘I know a bank’ (A Midsummer Night’s Dream); and ‘Does beauty lead to wisdom, Phaedrus?’ (Death in Venice). See more ideas about classical music, music composers, benjamin. A deep-rooted loyalty to tonality, even in The Turn of the Screw, which uses a 12-note theme, persists throughout his music, though by the time of the Church Parables of the 1960s, Britten’s assimilation of techniques from Balinese and Japanese music had pared down the orchestral and vocal textures as well as blurring the grip of traditional harmony. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is a 1945 musical composition by Benjamin Britten with a subtitle Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell.It was based on the second movement, "Rondeau", of the Abdelazer suite. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The work was written at the request of the British Ministry of Education for use in the short educational film Instruments of the Orchestra (1946). Preeminent among Britten’s nontheatrical music are his song cycles. Britten, (Edward) Benjamin (Lord Britten of Aldeburgh) (b Lowestoft, 1913; d Aldeburgh, 1976). Auden. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Britten, Naxos Records - Biography of Benjamin Britten, Classical Net - Biography of Benjamin Britten, Academy of American Poets - Biography of Benjamin Britten, Bach Cantatas Website - Biography of Benjamin Britten, Benjamin Britten - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. Omissions? Peter Grimes. With the help of over 300 music examples and diagrams, Evans demonstrates Britten's mastery of … Edward Benjamin Britten (Lowestoft, 22 de novembro de 1913 — 4 de dezembro de 1976), OM, Barão Britten de Aldeburgh, foi um compositor, maestro, violista e pianista britânico Índice 1 Biografia Its concert premiere was given in Liverpool, From 1939 to 1942 he was in the United States, where his first work for the stage, the operetta Paul Bunyan (1941; libretto by Auden), was performed. His birth on St Cecilia's Day, 22 Nov., was a happy augury for the career of one of Britain's greatest composers. An earlier church-pageant opera, Noye’s Fludde (1958), made use of one of the medieval Chester mystery plays. Immensely prolific as a child, he produced some 800 distinct juvenile works before the age of 18. Apr 12, 2020 - Explore Bethany Cosgrove's board "Benjamin Britten" on Pinterest. a sequence of arias, duets, trios, ensembles and choruses), though not without revealing the influence of composers as diverse as Berg, Shostakovich, Gershwin and Strauss. Among his principal instrumental works are the Simple Symphony for strings (1925); three string quartets (1941, 1945, and 1976); concerti for piano and for violin; The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1945); and Symphony in D Major for Cello and Orchestra (1963), written for the Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. While the early operetta Paul Bunyan drew on American folk idioms and popular genres such as blues, Peter Grimes reflects Britten’s fascination for Verdi, especially the Verdi of Otello and Falstaff, in that Grimes is basically a through-composed ‘number’ opera (i.e. Among the many collaborations between Britten and WH Auden are several songs in a ‘cabaret’ style. Several decades after his death, we have a more complete picture of Benjamin Britten as a composer than during his lifetime. Often alienated by the prevailing musical establishment, Britten brought into his music influences from European and American contemporary composers, as well as Balinese gamelan. Updates? Since a very young age, Britten was trained extensively in music. Bridge 's tutelage was one of the formative and lasting influences on Britten 's compositional development; Britten eventually paid tribute to his teacher in his Op. Corrections? When Benjamin's musical aptitude became evident, the family engaged composer Frank Bridge to supervise his musical education. Benjamin Britten, leading British composer of the mid-20th century, whose operas were considered the finest English operas since those of Henry Purcell in the 17th century. Despite their diversity of sources, Britten’s operas share common themes, notably a concern for the misfit or outsider, who is often an innocent, vulnerable individual exposed to corruption or temptation. Pärt wrote the work as a personal tribute to the composer whose music … Beginning with the international success of Peter Grimes in June 1945, his sixteen operas, which include chamber operas and works for children, are now considered repertory pieces. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The première secured Britten’s international fame and the opera testifies to Britten’s … Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) was a British composer, performer, and conductor. This process continued through Owen Wingrave (BBC TV, 1971) and Death in Venice; the latter incorporates an independent percussion ensemble that evokes Balinese gamelan. Britten composed as a child and at the age of 12 began several years of study under the composer and teacher Frank Bridge. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), England / Angleterre- Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes", Op. Although Britten continued to write large-scale operatic works – notably Billy Budd and Gloriana (1953) – his formation of the small-scale English Opera Group saw him writing a series of chamber operas, beginning with The Rape of Lucretia (1946) and continuing in the 1960s with the three Church Parables, beginning with the Japanese Noh play-inspired Curlew River (1964). Benjamin Britten, in full Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten Of Aldeburgh, (born November 22, 1913, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England—died December 4, 1976, Aldeburgh, Suffolk), leading British composer of the mid-20th century, whose operas were considered the finest English operas since those of Henry Purcell in the 17th century. The chamber operas adhere to similar neo-classical principles. Two other church parables, The Burning Fiery Furnace (1966) and The Prodigal Son (1968), followed. He was taught the piano and viola, and started to write music at the age of five. His most famous piece was the epic War Requiem. Prodigiously gifted as a musician, he studied composition as a child with the British composer Frank Bridge before winning an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London, aged 16. Benjamin Britten is widely regarded as the greatest British composer of his generation: a master of dramatic music in the forms of opera, choral and orchestral works. Britten was born on 22 November 1913 in the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. In chamber operas such as The Rape of Lucretia and the church parables, he proved that serious music theatre could flourish outside the opera house. 'I write music for human beings' Benjamin Britten wrote some of the most appealing classical music of the twentieth century. He was fond of applying this style to forms that had a number of movements or songs that add up to a large scale work: theme and variation, suite, song cycle, 3. To some extent, he resisted the avant-garde musical trends of his time in favor of a more accessible language and a goal of musical communication. This comprehensive guide to Britten's musical achievement discusses all the published compositions in subdivisions of genre and period, and devotes a separate chapter to each opera. Essentially a vocal composer, his … The most significant British composer of the post-war period, Britten was the first British composer to devote the major part of his output to the operatic stage. This undertaking gave rise to the Aldeburgh Festival (founded 1947), which became one of the most important English music festivals and the centre of Britten’s musical activities. It was originally commissioned for the British educational documentary film called Instruments of the Orchestra released on 29 November 1946, directed by … Britten was created Companion of Honour in 1953 and was awarded the Order of Merit in 1965. He later studied under John Ireland and Arthur Benjamin at the Royal College of Music in London and, while there, composed the set of choral variations A Boy Was Born (1933; revised, 1958). He then worked as a composer for the radio, theatre, and cinema, coming into close contact with the poet W.H. Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Britten the pacifist. 69, Cantata misericordium, 1963 Op. The Rape of Lucretia marked the inception of the English Opera Group, with Britten as artistic director, composer, and conductor. Later, his life partner, Peter Pears, was a singer who provided inspiration for almost four decades. One of his earliest influences was the music of Frank Bridge, whose orchestral work The Sea created a lasting impression when Britten first heard it aged 11. Aged six, he was already writing music. Britten's father was a prosperous oral surgeon in the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk; his mother was a leader in the local choral society. A few years later he me… While the early operetta Paul Bunyan drew on American folk idioms and popular genres such as blues, Peter Grimes reflects Britten’s fascination for Verdi, especially the Verdi of Otello and Falstaff, in that Grimes is basically a through-composed ‘number’ opera (i.e. Peter Grimes, premiered by Sadler’s Wells Opera (later ENO) a month after the VE Day, was a turning point in his career and that of his partner, the tenor Peter Pears, who played the title role. In 1937 his Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, for string orchestra, won him international acclaim. Overview ↓ Biography ↓ Discography ↓ Compositions ↓ Credits ↓ 65, Sonata for cello and piano, 1961; Op. 67, Psalm CL for children's chorus and instruments, 1962; Op. Unquestionably Britain's greatest 20th century composer, Britten excelled in virtually all genres, but is especially known for his vocal and choral music and operas. In June 1976 he was created a life peer, the first musician or composer to be elevated to the peerage. Britten composed as a child and at the age of 12 began several years of 10, the Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge (1937). With the church parable Curlew River (1964), his conception of musical theatre took a new direction, combining influences from the Japanese Noh theatre and English medieval religious drama. His mother, Edith Britten, was a gifted musician who was also the secretary of the Lowestoft Musical Society. A commission by the Koussevitzky Foundation led to the composition of his opera Peter Grimes (1945; libretto by M. Slater after George Crabbe’s poem The Borough), which placed Britten in the forefront of 20th-century composers of opera. Britten's style can be characterized as lyrical. 68, Cello Symphony, 1963; Op. However, it could be said that the influence Bridge would have on Britten was more a matter opening his mind to other types of music, rather than having a direct effect on his compositional style. composer, pianist, conductor. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist; and one of the central figures of Twentieth century music. DawnII. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Britten was born in 1913 in Lowestoft on the Suffolk coast, and grew up able to watch the North Sea from his windows. While he may not possess the full-blown power of Berg (with whom he had hoped to study) or Janacek, Britten undoubtedly had a flair for creating psychologically convincing characters as well a maintaining an unprecedented level of ambiguity in his operas. Edward Benjamin Britten was born on 22nd November 1913 in a fishing port in Suffolk, England. Composing music for documentary films, experimental theatre and BBC features in the 1930s, opened the way to an interest in writing opera and his earliest work in the genre was Paul Bunyan (1941) to a libretto by W. H. Auden. Britten is the subject of a piece by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt titled Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten. 8. He was also an outstanding pianist and conductor. Britten’s operas are admired for their skillful setting of English words and their orchestral interludes, as well as for their dramatic aptness and depth of psychological characterization. He was also an outstanding pianist and conductor. As a boy he began by setting favourite poems to be sung by family and friends. He was a child prodigy—learning to play the piano at the age of two and composing his first piece at five—and grew up to be the central figure of the British classical music … Among those that established his stature as a songwriter are (for voice and piano) Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo (1940; written for the tenor Peter Pears, his life partner and artistic collaborator), The Holy Sonnets of John Donne (1945), Winter Words (1953), and Hölderlin Fragment (1958); and (for voice and orchestra) Our Hunting Fathers (1936; text by Auden), Les Illuminations (1939; text by Arthur Rimbaud), and Serenade (1943). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Read Full Biography. Benjamin Britten was an English composer who was born and lived in Suffolk. It was through Bridge that Britten first became acquainted with Debussy and Ravel, something that biographers cite as a major turning point in Britten’s conception of orchestral sound. (born Lowestoft 22 November 1913; died Aldeburgh 4 December 1976). Similar structural principles can be observed in Billy Budd, perhaps Britten’s most ‘symphonic’ operatic composition and Gloriana. However, Benjamin Britten's next operas were all written for comparatively small resources ( The Rape of Lucretia , 1946; Albert Herring , 1947; a version of The Beggar's Opera 1948; The Little Sweep , 1949), for the company that became established as the … Britten heard the opera in March 1936 at the Queen’s Hall in London: “Of course it is idle to pretend it is great music throughout – it is stage music and as such must be considered. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Description. Both Britten and Pears were pacifists and applied to be conscientious objectors … While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. For Pears’s distinctive voice Britten created an important canon of operatic roles, none more so than Gustav von Aschenbach, the doomed central character in Death in Venice. His setting of the Chester Miracle Play Noye’s Fludde (1958) remains one of the very finest stage works for child performers. Cabaret Songs Presented by Lucy Walker. a sequence of arias, duets, trios, ensembles and choruses), though not without revealing the influence of composers as diverse as Berg, … His continual willingness to experiment with modern musical styles, forms, and sonorities and with new theatrical environments proved extremely fruitful. His later operas include The Rape of Lucretia (1946); the comic Albert Herring (1947); Billy Budd (1951; after Herman Melville); Gloriana (1953; written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II); The Turn of the Screw (1954; after Henry James); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960); Owen Wingrave (television, 1971); and Death in Venice (1973; after Thomas Mann). 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