Book Description
Peter Pears once described Benjamin Britten as `a Greek who worships all the gods'; and in order to come to terms with Britten's music it is necessary to recognize a language deeply embedded in this Western tradition. This book is devoted to Night-piece (Notturno), written for the first Leeds International Pianoforte Competition of 1963. It addresses the work from many points of view: historical, documentary, analytical, formal, kinetic, hermeneutical, and affective. It also includes a wide range of illustrated allusions to other music, a full set of sketches, the printed score, arrays of modes and voice-leading graphs, and two appendices that take the issues of intensification and neapolitan relations further. In so doing, it provides a new model for the study of Britten's work in general. ... Read more

Book Description
Since Britten's death in 1976, numerous articles and books have been written about his life and work. Much has been made of the strong influences of his pacifism and his homosexuality. It is often suggested that Britten felt himself to be an outsider from 'normal' society, and that this accounts for the his concern to portray the 'outsider' in his operas. There is no doubt that this is an important aspect of Britten's art, but the present work attempts to show that his music embraces much wider and more universal concerns, and in addressing those concerns there is a clearly defined pattern of spiritual influence.Part One of the book examines Britten's early life, and the strong presence which the Church had in his childhood and adolescence. It explores the way in which certain spiritual influences were first manifested, and how, like the more specifically musical 'themes' which Donald Mitchell has noted, they can be traced throughout Britten's life and work. The author was privileged to have conversations with two clergymen who were influential in Britten's life, as well as gathering valuable insights through a long series of conversations with Sir Peter Pears.Part Two examines a wide range of the composer's music in which a spiritual dimension can be traced. The specifically liturgical music has received rather less critical notice than Britten's larger works. The music is discussed here, and shown to possess musical characteristics in common with the larger works.Britten could not be described as a conventional Christian; still less is it true to describe him, as Eric Walter White has done, as 'keen, wherever possible, to work within the framework of the Church of England'. Nevertheless, his spirituality was rooted in the religious experience of his childhood. This book seeks to demonstrate that Britten retained a sense of the Christian values absorbed in childhood and adolescence, and that these - along with the specifically Christian heritage of plainsong - were strongly influential in his choice and treatment of themes. ... Read more

Book Description
This long-awaited third volume of composer Benjamin Britten's remarkable letters covers the years 1946-51. Fresh from the astonishing success of his great first opera, Peter Grimes, Britten was vital to the post-war rebuilding of the arts in Great Britain with his visionary work as a composer, conductor, and performer. With his partner, the celebrated tenor Peter Pears, he founded the Aldeburgh Festival, which eventually grew into the international festival that it is today, and the English Opera Group. He also toured widely in Europe and the United States as a pianist and conductor. During this time he wrote many of his best-known works, including the operas Billy Budd, Albert Herring, and The Rape of Lucretia.
Britten's correspondents include literary figures such as Christopher Isherwood, Edith Sitwell, E. M. Forster (the librettist for Billy Budd), and Edward Sackville-West, as well as musical colleagues from around the world including Ernest Ansermet, Francis Poulenc, Aaron Copland,and Igor Stravinsky.
This volume of selected letters represents one of the richest and most innovative periods of the composer's creative life. His daily concerns and the unique era in which he lived are vividly evoked by the comprehensive and scholarly annotations, which offer a wide range of detailed and fascinating information. Donald Mitchell contributes a superb introduction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Invaluable
Donald Mitchell, et.al. have done another remarkable job in providing source material for the serious student of Benjamin Britten's life and music. At the same time, the book reads like a biography. It is filled with invaluble information that helps frame, illuminate and clarify issues surrounding Britten's important work of the time. I especially appreciated Dr. Mitchell's thoughful response to those who would have us look at Britten's incredible artistic contributions solely through the mind and eyes of sexual preference. I can't wait for future volumes. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Literator, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2007. The length of the article is 6357 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Musikale narratief in Benjamin Britten se opera Billy Budd/musikale narratief in Benjamin Britten se opera Billy Budd.(text in Afrikaans, South Africa)(Critical essay)
Author: Karen Vermeulen
Publication: Literator (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 28Issue: 1Page: 85(19)

Article Type: Critical essay

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This digital document is an article from New Criterion, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2801 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: The house on Middagh Street.(The Story of W. H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, Benjamin Britten and Gypsy Rose Lee, Under One Roof in Wartime America)(Book Review)
Author: Brooke Allen
Publication: New Criterion (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 23Issue: 10Page: 74(5)

Article Type: Book Review

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5X7 B&H #778 PCKET SCORE SOFTCVR, 72 PP ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2006. The length of the article is 499 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Benjamin Britten.(Benjamin Britten: The Turn of the Screw)(Video recording review)
Author: John Holland
Publication: Notes (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 62Issue: 3Page: 784(2)

Article Type: Video recording review

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