Benjamin Britten

[karlhenning]

Bach wrote his St Matthew Passion for performance on one day of the year only — the day which in the Christian church was the culmination of the year, to which the year's worship was leading. It is one of the unhappiest results of the march of science and commerce that this unique work, at the turn of a switch, is at the mercy of any loud roomful of cocktail drinkers — to be listened to or switched off at will, without ceremony or occasion.

One of a number of bits I strung together here.

[knight66]

I often think you are just trying to be provocative: I rather hope so. No idea why the artist should be given a get out of gaol pass for reprehensible behaviour.

Mike

[karlhenning]

Just enjoyed revisiting the Violin Concerto. It's an early work (Opus 15), and bits of it are a bit startlingly close to textures of the Prokofiev First Vn Cto. Nonetheless, an excellent piece.

[zamyrabyrd]

Bach wrote his St Matthew Passion for performance on one day of the year only — the day which in the Christian church was the culmination of the year, to which the year's worship was leading. It is one of the unhappiest results of the march of science and commerce that this unique work, at the turn of a switch, is at the mercy of any loud roomful of cocktail drinkers — to be listened to or switched off at will, without ceremony or occasion.
One of a number of bits I strung together here.

Cocktail drinkers, indeed, a vanished species. Nowadays we can listen to anything in the privacy of our cars (or bathtubs, or whatever).
I just wonder, even then, WHO would put a Passion by Bach on the turntable in the midst of tinkling glasses and witty conversation.
ZB

[karlhenning]

Cocktail drinkers, indeed, a vanished species. Nowadays we can listen to anything in the privacy of our cars (or bathtubs, or whatever).
I just wonder, even then, WHO would put a Passion by Bach on the turntable in the midst of tinkling glasses and witty conversation.
ZB

As Vulcan says to Polly in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: We cater to all kinds.

[karlhenning]

All that I find on this, is here:

This seven-minute piece is Britten's only known composition for brass band (barring any future release of another such piece by the Britten Estate form the treasures found in the composer's unpublished archives). It is a product of his interest in left-wing politics in the 1930s; like many another young intellectuals of the time, living through economic depression and noting the rise of Fascism in Western Europe, he was attracted to an idealized vision of the Soviet Union. The work derives from incidental music to a play called The Eagle has Two Heads and was put into its present form for a concert of the London Labour Choral Union on March 8, 1936. It was written in fewer than ten days.

Its intellectual sources are Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, and also a reaction to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which ended the promise of a peace to be guaranteed by the League of Nations. It is in a broad ABA form. The opening and closing funeral march is based on a Russian song used at the funeral of the victims of the attack on petitioners at the Tsar's Winter Palace in January, 1905, the first of the revolutionary actions leading to the 1917 overthrow of the Tsar and subesquent Bolshevik coup. The same funeral song was quoted in Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony twenty years later. The central section is a brutal "dance of death."

[karlhenning]

Mercy, but I had clean forgot what a window-rattler the Libera me from the War Requiem is!

[klingsor]

An excellent live perf of the Britten Violin Concerto, by Daniel Hope in Paris can be heard here:

http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/em/concert-soir/emission.php?e_id=80000056&d_id=425001671

[Guido]

Just listened to Britten's suite for harp op.83. Can't believe I've never heard it before - I've always been dimly aware of its existence - and I'm not sure what to make of it. I mean it's gorgeous, but is it merely meretriciousm, or does it run deeper? Britten is of course one of the great harp composers - so many of his larger works show this (for me the most extraordinary of all is Curlew River). Will have to listen a few more times...

[Luke]

I like what Robin Hlloway says about Britten re the harp - that Britten composes as if the harp is always in his mind. He means that he tends to work with limited pitch sets which alter through the course of a work just as they would when a harpist changes pedal settings. I suppose that's a fairly common way to compose, but I know what RH means - Britten often follows this course quite rigorously, and his music gains much of its power from it, e.g. the withholding of pitches and then their appearance; the incremental build-up of areas of pitches , gradually changing from within...

I know that suite, I have a CD with it on somewhere. But it's never struck me strongly. To me, the harp interlude from A Ceremony of Carols is where BB's harp writing finds its still, perfect centre.

[Guido]

Yes it's a very good essay that. And the way you describe it doesn't at all sound a million miles from your own mode techniques...

[TheGSMoeller]

To me, the harp interlude from A Ceremony of Carols is where BB's harp writing finds its still, perfect centre.

Ahh, was just listening to A Ceremony of Carols on the way home this evening.   VI. This Little Babe is astonishing, I always end up repeating it several times, only to get upset at myself for forgetting the beautiful VII. Interlude follows it. 

[bhodges]

For those (including me) who missed the original live video broadcast last weekend, the Glyndebourne production of The Turn of the Screw is available through September 12 here.

--Bruce

[knight66]

I am providing a link here to a remarkable performance from last Wednesday of 'The War Requiem'. It will only operate for those in the UK and possibly Europe. The performance will be put out as a DVD.

http://thespace.org/items/e000083s

Andris Nelsons and the Ciry of Birmingham Sym Orch, British tenor Mark Padmore, was joined by German baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann and Canadian soprano Erin Wall. The performance took place in Coventry Cathedral 50 years to the day of its premier there. I was not at the concert, only watched the relay. It comes across exceptionally well, Mark Padmore is masterly in taking you with him on the journeys through the poems. The soprano has a wonderful strong pure voice, no wobbles. The baritone is good, but looks curious with his tight raised cheek muscles and tightened top lip, he looks like The Joker without the makeup, he is never less than satisfactory and seems to become more involved as he goes along.

The orchestra and adult choir are marvelous, the girls choir bright and too closely miked at first, then half way through they are given the distant balance they need to produce the magical effects Britten intended.

Nelsons works right across the spectrum of the piece and highlights the woodwind as clearly as he allows the trumpets to blaze. The Libera Me starts extremely slowly, but he builds and builds the tension across a vast span, it is an exceptional performance and very moving. At the end there is silence for well over a minute.

For those who can access the BBCiPlayer it is available in sound only for six days. For anyone who can access the video, it should be available for a few months.

Mike

[Karl Henning]

Cool, Mike!

[Brian]

Who knows, perhaps I even start to like Britten's music? I have been very ignorant with him. I only own one Naxos of his String Quartets. Frankly, I don't have a clue where to start with his music. Everytime I hear his orchestral music somewhere it sounds "disturbing" to my ears.

Maybe we should go kick-start the Britten thread. I've been thinking the same thing. After hating Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream three years ago at the Houston Grand Opera, I've stuck with his smaller-scale works - A Simple Symphony, Ceremony of Carols, solo cello suites - and have always found them more appealing than the bigger stuff.

[TheGSMoeller]

Lets do it, Brian. Britten is a favorite of mine.

If you enjoyed the Cello suites (which I find masterful), than give the SQs a shot, 1 is passable, but 2 and 3 are wonderful both musically and structurally.

Death in Venice is only surpassed by only a few when it comes to 20th Century Operas.

Follow Ceremony of Carols with Rejoice in the Lamb, or get a little riskier and check out his one-act (one character) mini opera, Phaedra. Britten wrote most of his best works using voices (see Nocturne for Tenor, Horn and Strings)

I could go on and on about Britten, hopefully this thread will pick up.

[Karl Henning]

Phaedra is marvelous.

Thanks for this, lads; I shall take the occasion to get to know the string quartets, at last....

[Mirror Image]

I'm really in awe of what could be considered Britten's 'war trilogy': War Requiem, Sinfonia da Requiem, and Ballad of Heroes. I also love the concerti (including Diversions), Simple Symphony, Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings, and The Prince of Pagodas, although I like to approach this ballet one act at a time since it's quite large. I couldn't listen to the whole work in one sitting. The same could be said with War Requiem, although I have done it before. I find that I absorb the music better with breaks.

[The new erato]

Phaedra is marvelous.

Thanks for this, lads; I shall take the occasion to get to know the string quartets, at last....

Britten's quartets are great, and the 3rd is plain awesome. I recommend the Belcea, the Endellion is also great (in the complete set IIRC).