Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Composer of the Week Podcast vor 1 Jahr

Donald Macleod explores the early years in Benjamin Britten's creative story

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Donald Macleod explores the early years in Benjamin Britten's
creative story

Benjamin Britten was one of the most influential British
composers of the 20th century, with celebrated works such as
'Peter Grimes', 'Friday Afternoons' or 'A Simple Symphony'. Music
infused his very first moments in life and he started to develop
his musical instincts from a very early age. Many of his future
masterpieces can be traced back to the inspiration of his youth.
This week, Donald Macleod explores these crucial early years in
Britten's creative story, from his birth under the star of St
Cecilia to his departure for America at 25 years old.

Music featured:

Hymn to St Cecilia, Op 27 Four Sea Interludes, Op 33a (from
'Peter Grimes') A Charm of Lullabies, Op 41 (arr for voice and
orchestra by Colin Matthews) Five Waltzes Beware! Three Early
Songs (No 1, 'Beware') On This Island, Op 11 (No 3, 'Seascape')
Psalm 150, Op 67 Quatre chansons françaises Suite for harp in C
major, Op 83 A Hymn to the Virgin A Walden Trio: Christmas Song
of the Women The Birds Twelve Variations on a Theme, for piano
Three Divertimenti for String Quartet (2nd mvt) Sinfonietta, Op 1
(1st mvt) Phantasy, Op 2, for oboe, violin, viola and violoncello
(1st & 2nd mvt) Holiday Diary, Op 5 A Boy Was Born, Op 3
(Variation I, 'Lullay, Jesu') Simple Symphony, Op 4 Mont Juic
(co-composed with Lennox Berkeley) (4th mvt) Friday Afternoons
(excerpts) Suite for Violin and Piano, Op 6 (3rd & 4th mvts)
Train Sequence, from 'The King's Stamp' Percussion Sequence, from
'Night Mail' (text by W.H. Auden) Love Music, from 'Love from a
Stranger' Russian Funeral Soirées musicales, Op 9 Lullaby for a
retired colonel' A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op 64 (excerpt)
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op 10 The Company of
Heaven ( Part 3, No 7, ‘A Thousand, Thousand Gleaming Fires’)
Piano Concerto, Op 13 (1st mvt) Les Illuminations, Op 18 (on
poems by Arthur Rimbaud)

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Julien Rosa for BBC Audio
Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Benjamin Britten
(1913-1976) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027tjp And you can
delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on
Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z