Britten Edward Benjamin, *22 November 1913 Lowestoft (Suffolk), †4 December 1976 Aldeburgh, English composer, pianist and conductor. Initially, he studied under H. Samuel (piano) and F. Bridge (composition). In 1930–34, he continued his studies with A. Benjamin (piano) and J. Ireland (composition) at the Royal College of Music in London. He started composing as a child; by the age of 16, he had written a symphony for string orchestra, 6 string quartets, 10 piano sonatas, 3 piano suites, 12 songs and an oratorio. His first published works, including Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra and Phantasy Quartet for oboe, violin, viola and cello were composed during his studies at the Royal College of Music. During this period, Britten began writing music for film, and then for radio and theatre. This cooperation, undertaken for profit purposes, enabled him to establish contacts with writers from the circle of W. H. Auden and S. Spender, with their works involved in historical and psychological-moral conflicts of the modern world. In 1939–42, Britten stayed in the USA; several of his more valuable works were written there, including Sinfonia da Requiem and Les Illuminations, as well as the idea for an opera for which he received a commission from the Koussevitzky Music Foundation. This opera – Peter Grimes – completed after the composer’s return to England, brought him worldwide fame and began a series of further works in this genre. Britten, having settled in Aldeburgh (Suffolk), initiated there in 1947 (with E. Crozier and P. Pears) an annual English music festival and created and ran the English Opera Group, specialising in staging English chamber operas; under his direction and with his arrangement, the opera Dido and Aeneas by Purcell was performed in 1951. Britten performed as a conductor and pianist, performing mainly his own works. He went on numerous artistic tours around America and Europe, accompanying P. Pears (tenor) on the piano; he also gave concerts with him in Poland in 1961 during the 5th Warsaw Autumn (in the program 7 Sonnets of Michelangelo and 6 Hölderlin-Fragmente). He received honorary doctorates from the universities of Oxford (1963) and Leicester (1965).
Britten was an artist fascinated by tradition. His returns to the past take various forms, starting from publishing and performing early music (Orpheus Britannicus, Harmonia Sacra – with P. Pears), through arrangements of folk songs (French, English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish) for voice with orchestra and voice with piano, as well as quoting and creatively arranging the music of masters of previous eras (including Purcell), up to the use of old composition techniques and references to trends and styles of past eras.
In many compositions, Britten tended to be programmatic and illustrative. Even short instrumental pieces sometimes have titles indicating the content that inspires the composer and at the same time suggesting their reception by the listener. A striking example is the piece 6 Metamorphoses after Ovid for oboe solo; each part has an extensive subtitle: 1st part – Pan, who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved, 2nd part – Phaeton, who rode upon the chariot of the sun for one day and was hurled into the river Padus by a thunderbolt, etc. A particularly clear illustration can be found in the Spring Symphony, where Britten referred to the vocal-instrumental variety of this form; he used texts by ancient and contemporary poets, entrusted them to an extensive cast of voices (solos, choirs) and shaped the whole in such a way that it expressively (perhaps even too expressively, bordering on naivety) reflected the mood suggested by the text.
Melody, which ceased to be the primary factor for 20th-century composers, still plays a primary role in Britten’s work in the hierarchy of elements shaping the structure of the work. It contributes to the coherence of the composition as a result of the return of melodic phrases (the final rondo of String Quartet No. 1 in D major is based on the motif of the introduction theme and the first movement; the vocal melodic phrase that begins Les Illuminations returns in an identical form in the penultimate movement, etc.), and at the same time it is proof – mainly in works for voice with piano and voice with orchestra – of the composer’s sensitivity to the sonic values of the verbal layer of the work.
In terms of harmony, Britten uses a proven musical language, basically not going beyond the functional system. One of the most interesting pieces in terms of harmonics is Scottish Ballad, in which references to polyphonic medieval music (organum, fauxbourdon) are noticeable, especially in the thematic piano parts. Britten’s instrumentation is also not innovative, it indicates the methods of producing sound and instruments typical of composers from the first quarter of the 20th century. Individual instrumental colours are sometimes exposed by the introduction of solo concert instruments, e.g. the flute and violin in Peter Grimes, as well as a concert group, such as the band performing on stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2 recorders, small plates and 2 Chinese blocks, i.e. the so-called boxes) or in Peter Grimes (2 clarinets, solo violin, double bass, drums), which can be considered a reference to the baroque style concertato.
Britten also adopted the variation and imitation techniques from his previous musical heritage. He uses canon (the melody of the 14th-century canon Sumer is icumen in the Spring Symphony), fugue (Cantata academica, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Prelude and Fugue for 18-voice string orchestra), passacaglia (Violin Concerto in D minor, Symphony for cello and orchestra, Peter Grimes), as well as a chaconna (String Quartet No. 2 in D major). Within large variation forms, individual variations are often dances, such as the final tarantella in Diversions for piano and orchestra, or the waltz in Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge. Rhythms and dance forms are also characteristic of other cyclical works, such as the concerto (waltz and march in the Piano Concerto in D major), and especially the suite (bolero, tarantella, march and waltz in Soirées musicales, march and waltz in the Suite for Violin and Piano).
The most representative form of Britten’s work, which most clearly reflects almost all the features of his style, is opera. His operas are diverse in texture and expression. Considering them from the point of view of subject matter, mood and character, we can distinguish such examples as Gloriana, majestic, solemn, written on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; Albert Herring, based on the witty and spicy story Le rosier de Madame Husson by G. de Maupassant; The Beggar’s Opera with a satirical libretto by J. Gay; Peter Grimes and Billy Budd touching on dramatic issues – the conflict of an individual with the social environment on which he is dependent and powerless in the face of its judgments (often unjust). In the musical layer of these works, which emphasises the dramatic concept, the composer usually uses not new means but refers to existing opera conventions and traditional associations, such as the sounds of bells in the church scene in Peter Grimes (act II, scene 1) or lullaby sounds motifs during Lucretia’s dream in The Rape of Lucretia (act II, scene 1).
Britten achieves a continuum of form through repeated treatment of the instrumental ensemble, thematic material and sound structures. The return of the same instruments is accompanied by the same vocal voices. Sometimes (as is the case in The Rape…) the connection between the stage action and the music is almost manifested in the “assignment” of individual instruments to specific characters, a principle which is sometimes observed in longer fragments of the piece. A striking example of the repetition of thematic material is the main theme of The Turn of the Screw, which persistently returns in 15 variational interludes between 8 scenes in each act. In Peter Grimes, in addition to the thematic connections between instrumental interludes and vocal-instrumental parts of individual acts, there is a connection between the extreme parts of the entire opera through the contrapuntal development of the thematic material given at the beginning of the work in Act III. What is characteristic of The Rape of Lucretia is the return of entire sound patterns that are close to each other or identical, not only in terms of melody but also dynamically, agogically and instrumentally. The repetition of such fragments influences the architecture of operas.
The division within acts and scenes is also the result of the differentiation of vocal sections into songs, aria and recitative parts, with the latter predominating. Britten used the song form most abundantly in The Beggar’s Opera, which results from the properties of the ballad-type opera; quotations from 66 songs and ballads popular in the 18th century were creatively prepared by the composer; solo folk songs also appear in multi-voice versions (duets, ensembles, choirs), they are accompanied by an orchestral setting, and they appear in the context of instrumental interludes and an archaising overture. In other operas, songs do not appear often, but they stand out even more against the background of the whole, which is dominated by recitative; for example, in Billy Budd, there are songs of English sailors – shanties, while in Peter Grimes – ballads which refer to folk music in their melodic lines, and in a contrapuntal manner to English polyphonic forms such as ground and anthem. The traditional form of the aria, such as Embroidery in Childhood (ABA1B1) sung by Ellen in Peter Grimes (Act III), is rare, but cantilena parts related to the aria are more common, such as the vocalises of Lucia and Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia (Act I), incidentally accompanying the recitative of the women’s choir. Recitatives in Britten’s operas vary greatly; solos predominate, although there are also ensembles (The Rape of Lucretia) and choirs (Peter Grimes); they are performed with orchestral accompaniment or only piano accompaniment or without instrumental accompaniment at all. An example of an opera with a clear predominance of recitatives (with the participation of an orchestra) is Billy Budd. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Britten went further – alongside the recitatives, he introduced a spoken part (the role of Puck). Operatic elements such as solos, duets, ensembles and choirs make up larger, similarly formed wholes, i.e. scenes and acts (often preceded by a prologue, following the example of an ancient tragedy), regardless of whether it is a chamber opera (The Rape of Lucretia, The Turn of the Screw), or intended for an extensive executive apparatus (Peter Grimes, Gloriana). This external architectural similarity conceals different sound complexes.
In both Peter Grimes and The Rape of Lucretia, the choir plays a very important role in shaping the sound structure, but in the first case, it is a multi-voice, polyphonic ensemble, modelled on English anthems, while in the second – a choir that refers to the tradition of ancient Greek drama, and therefore to his commenting role. Both choirs (male and female) in The Rape of Lucretia introduce the action, end it and act as narrators in its course; however, they were treated in an unconventional way, because they are choirs only in name and function, while their cast is limited by the composer to a minimum, to single (sic!) voices (tenor solo and soprano solo), which in turn is consistent with the concept of the whole, the concept chamber work. The use of a small performing apparatus (6 soloists, 2 one-person choirs, 12 solo instruments and percussion) results in transparency and clarity of sound. Britten also strives to achieve a similar effect in operas that involve a larger vocal and orchestral ensemble, e.g. in Billy Budd (the exclusive use of male voices, dictated by the libretto, is striking here); the extensive instrumentation is used mainly to provide sonoristic differentiation of successively appearing structures, and not to enrich simultaneous sounds. The instrumentation of operas, sometimes significantly diversified and proving thorough mastery of the compositional craft, just like other musical factors that determine the quality of Britten’s sound structures, plays a secondary role in relation to the literary content; for example, the already mentioned instrumental ensembles performing on stage are closely related to the action (Peter Grimes, act III, party at the inn), and the economy in dosing the orchestral sound is generally associated with shifting the focus to the drama conveyed by the text (Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw).
Britten’s dramatic nerve is also revealed in genres somewhat related to opera, namely mystery plays and church parables. In Noye’s Fludde, the composer referred to medieval English performances with religious themes and used the skill of using a very extensive performing group, while in Curlew River, The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal Son, he used a chamber cast, based on his own experience (chamber operas), and also on the principles of construction of classical plays of the Japanese noō theatre, which is experiencing its renaissance.
Contemporary ways of shaping musical works are basically not reflected in Britten’s works. Although we encounter a modest use of dodecaphony (The Turn of the Screw, Cantata academica), it does not permeate the entirety of the few compositions based on this technique, but only their fragments. Britten’s connections with 20th-century music are found in his treatment of baroque and classical forms. Britten’s instrumental works, which abound in these forms, testify to the composer’s continuation of the neoclassical direction, and the example of Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge with a wittily modified Bridge’s theme from 3 Idylls suggests a comparison with Prokofiev’s approach to this direction. Britten was able to combine the current achievements of world musical culture with the heritage of native culture in an original alloy. He uses pan-European musical forms, as well as typically English ones (anthems, shanties); refers to Verdi (opera) and Mahler (vocal-instrumental works), but also reveals his love of musical patrimony (Purcell, folk songs); raises general human problems and, at the same time, content related to the environment of the English coast that is close to him (Peter Grimes); refers to the culture of Latin (cantata), Italian (7 Sonnets of Michelangelo) and French (Les illuminations), but with the greatest care he reproduces the prosody of the native language. The expressive Englishness gives Britten’s works an individual mark and places their creator among national composers.
Literature:
Benjamin Britten. A Complete Catalogue of his Works, London 1963; La création de 1’opéra anglais et „Peter Grimes”, ed. E. Crozier, Paris 1947; E. W. White, Benjamin Britten, London 1948, 2nd version: 1954, German ed. Zurich 1948; revised ed. London 1970; Tribute to Benjamin Britten on his Fiftieth Birthday, ed. A. Gishford, London 1963; S. Lazarov, Benjamin Britten, Sofia 1965; A. Tauragis, Benjamin Britten, Moscow 1965; I. Holst, Britten, London 1966, 2nd version: 1970; P. Howard, The Operas of Benjamin Britten, London and New York 1969; B. Schäffer, Muzyka XX w. Twórcy i problemy, Krakow 1975; Letters from a Life. Selected Letters and Diaries of Benjamin Britten, published by D. Mitchell and P. Reed, London 1991; P. Evans, The Music of Benjamin Britten, London 1979; J. Evans, P. Reed, P. Wilson, A Britten Source Book, Aldeburgh 1987; A. Whittall, “Twisted Relations”. Method and Meaning in Britten’s “Billy Budd”, “Cambridge Opera Journal” II, 1990; Britten’s “Gloriana”. Essays and Sources, ed. P. Banks, Woodbridge 1993; M. Kennedy, Britten, London 1981, revised ed. 1993; A. Tuchowski, Benjamin Britten. Twórca, dzieło, epoka, Krakow 1994.
(most of compositions were published by Boosey & Hawkes)
Instrumental:
Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra Op. 1, 1932, premiere London 31 I 1933
Simple Symphony for string orchestra Op. 4, 1925; 2nd version: 1934, premiere Norwich 6 March 1934, The Norwich String Orchestra, conductor B. Britten
Soirées musicales Op. 9, orchestra suite after Rossini, 1936
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra Op. 10, 1937, premiere Salzburg 27 August 1937 (festival), Boyd Neel Orchestra, conductor B. Neel
Mont Juic Op. 12, orchestral suite of Catalan dances (with L. Berkeley), 1937
Canadian Carnival for orchestra Op. 19, 1939, premiere: radio performance 6 June 1940, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor C. Raybould; concert performance Cheltenham 12 June 1945 (festival), London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor B. Britten
Sinfonia da Requiem for orchestra Op. 20, 1940, premiere New York 30 March 1941, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor J. Barbirolli
Matinées musicales Op. 24, orchestra suite after Rossini, 1941
Prelude and Fugue for string orchestra Op. 29, 1943, premiere London 23 June 1943, Boyd Neel Orchestra, conductor B. Neel
4 Sea Interludes z Peter Grimesa Op. 33a
Passacaglia z Peter Grimesa Op. 33b
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Op. 34, variations and fugue on Purcell, 1946, premiere Liverpool 15 October 1946, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor M. Sargent
The Building of the House Op. 79, orchestra overture (with or without a choir), 1967
Piano Concerto in D major Op. 13, 1938, premiere London 18 August 1938, piano B. Britten, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor H. Wood; 2nd version: 1945
Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15, 1935, premiere New York 28 March 1940, violin A. Brosa, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor J. Barbirolli; 2nd version: 1958
Diversions for piano (for left hand) and orchestra Op. 21, 1940, premiere 16 January 1942, piano P. Wittgenstein, Philadelphia Orchestra, conductor E. Ormandy; 2nd version: 1954
Scottish Ballad for 2 pianos and orchestra Op. 26, 1941, premiere 28 November 1941, piano E. Barlett and R. Robertson, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, conductor E. Goossens
Symphony for cello and orchestra Op. 68, 1963
Phantasy Quartet for oboe, violin, alto and cello Op. 2, 1932, premiere Florence 5 April 1934 (Festival of the International Society of Contemporary Music), oboe L. Goossens
Suite for violin and piano Op. 6, 1935, premiere Barcelona 21 April 1936 (Festival of the International Society of Contemporary Music), violin A. Brosa, piano B. Britten
Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca for 2 pianos Op. 23 no. 1, 1940
Mazurka Elegiaca “In memoriam I. J. Paderewski” for 2 pianos Op. 23 nr 2, 1941, premiere New York, winter 1941, piano E. Barlett and R. Robertson
String Quartet No. 1 in D major Op. 25, 1941, premiere Los Angeles September 1941, Coolidge String Quartet
String Quartet No. 2 in C major Op. 36, 1945, premiere London 21 November 1945, The Zorian String Quartet
Lachrymae. Reflections on a Song of John Dowland for alto and piano Op. 48, 1950, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 20 June 1950, alto W. Primrose
Sonata in C major for cello and piano Op. 65, 1961, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 7 July 1961, cello M. Rostropowicz, piano B. Britten
Gemini Variations for flute, violin and piano for 4 hands Op. 73, 1965
Holiday Diary, suite for piano Op. 5, 1934
Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Victoria for organ, 1946, premiere Northampton 21 September 1946
6 Metamorphoses after Ovid for oboe Op. 49, 1951, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 14 June 1951, oboe J. Boughton, premiere Polish Warsaw Autumn 25 September 1963, oboe L. Faber
Night Piece, nocturne for piano, 1963
Nocturnal after J. Dowland for guitar Op. 70, 1963
Suite for cello Op. 72, 1964
Suite No. 2 for cello Op. 80, 1968
String Quartet No. 3 Op. 94, 1975
Suite No. 3 for cello, Op. 87, 1972
Vocal and vocal-instrumental:
A Hymn to the Virgin, anthem for mixed choir a cappella, text Anonym ok. 1300, 1930, premiere Lowestoft 5 January 1931, The Lowestoft Musical Society; 2nd version: 1934
3 Part-Songs for a 2-voice boy or female choir: 1. The Ride-by-Nights, 2. The Rainbow, 3. The Ship of Rio; text Walter de la Mare, 1932, premiere London 12 December 1932
2 Part-Songs for mixed choir and piano: 1. I lov’d a lass, text G. Wither; 2. Lift Boy, text R. Graves; 1933, premiere London 11 December 1933
A Boy was Born, choral variations for male, female and boys’ voices a cappella (organs ad libitum) Op. 3: Theme – A Boy was Born, text Anonym 16th century; variation No. 1 – Lullay Jesu, text Anonym before 1536; variation No. 2 – Herod, text Anonym 15th century; variation No. 3 – Jesu, as Thou art our Saviour, text Anonym 15th century; variation No. 4 – The Three Kings, text Anonym 15th century; variation No. 5 – In the black mid-winter, text Anonym 15th century; variation No. 6 (finale) – Noel!, text Anonym 15th century, Th. Tusser, F. Quarles; 1933, premiere: radio performance 23 February 1934, concert performance London 17 December 1934; 2nd version: 1934
Friday Afternoons, 12 songs for children’s voices and piano Op. 7: 1. Begone dull care, text Anonym; 2. A Tragic Story, text W. M. Thackeray; 3. Cuckoo!, text J. Taylor; 4. Ee-Oh!, text Anonym; 5. A New Year Carol, text Anonym; 6. I must be married on Sunday, text Udall; 7. There was a man of Newington, text Anonym; 8. Fishing Song, text I. Walton; 9. The Useful Plough, text Anonym; 10. Jazz-Man, text E. Farjeon; 11. There was a Monkey, text Anonym; 12. Old Abraham Brown, text Anonym; 1934
Te Deum for mixed choir a cappella, 1935, premiere London 27 January 1936
Advance Democracy for mixed choir a cappella, text R. Swingler, 1938
Hymn to Cecilia for mixed choir a cappella Op. 27, text W. H. Auden, 1942, premiere London 22 November 1942, BBC Singers, conductor L. Woodgate
A Ceremony of Carols for boys’ choir and harp Op. 28: 1. Procession; 2. Wolcum Yole!, text Anonym; 3. There is no rose, text Anonym; 4a. That yongë child, text Anonym; 4b. Balulalow, text J., J. and R. Wedderburn; 5. As dew in Aprille, text Anonym; 6. This little Babe; text Southwell; 7. Interlude (for harp); 8. In freezing winter night, text Southwell; 9. Spring Carol, text Cornish; 10. Deo gratias, text Anonym; 11. Recession; 1942, premiere Norwich 5 December 1942, The Fleet Street Choir, conductor T. B. Lawrence
The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard for male choir and piano, text Anonym, 1943, premiere Eichstätt February 1944
A Shepherd’s Carol for mixed choir a cappella, text W. H. Auden, 1944, premiere: radio premiere 1944, concert performance 17 October 1962
Chorale, after an old French Carol for mixed choir a cappella, text W. H. Auden, 1944, premiere: radio premiere 1944
Festival Te Deum for mixed choir and organ Op. 32, 1945, premiere Swindon 21 April 1945 (festival)
5 Flower Songs Op. 47: 1. To Daffodils, text R. Herrick; 2. The Succession of the Four Sweet Months, text R. Herrick; 3. Marsh Flowers, text G. Crabbe; 4. The Evening Primrose, text J. Clare; 5. The Ballad of Green Broom, text Anonym; 1950
Missa Brevis in D for boys’ choir and organ Op. 63, 1959, premiere Westminster 22 July 1959, choir of Westminster’s cathedral, conductor G. Malcolm
Jubilate Deo for mixed choir and organ, 1961, premiere Leeds 8 October 1961
A Hymn of St. Columba for mixed choir and organ, 1962, premiere 2 June 1963, The Ulsters Singers, conductor H. Nelson
Psalm 150 for children’s choir and instrumental band Op. 67, 1962, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 24 June 1963, Northgate School Choir and Orchestra, conductor B. Britten
Voices for Today, anthem for mixed and boys’ choir, organ (ad libitum) Op. 75, 1965
The Golden Vanity for boys’ voices: 5 soloists, 2 small choirs and piano Op. 78, text C. Graham, 1967
The Building of the House Op. 79 (see: orchestral piece)
The Birds for medium voice and piano, text H. Belloc, 1929; 2nd version: 1934
On this Island, 5 songs for high voice and piano Op. 11: 1. Let the florid music praise!, 2. Now the leaves are fading fast, 3. Seascape, 4. Nocturne, 5. As it is, plenty; text W. H. Auden, 1937, premiere London 19 November 1937, soprano S. Wyss, piano B. Britten
2 Ballads for 2 voices and piano: 1. Mother Comfort, text M. Slater; 2. Underneath the Abject Willow, text W. H. Auden; 1937
Fish in the Unruffled Lakes for high voice and piano, text W. H. Auden, 1937
7 Sonnets of Michelangelo for tenor and piano Op. 22, text Michał Anioł Buonarroti, sonnets: XVI, XXXI, XXX, LV, XXXVIII, XXXII, XXIV, 1940, premiere London 23 IX 1942, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for voice and piano Op. 35: 1. O my blacke Soule, 2. Batter my heart, 3. O might those sighes and teares, 4. Oh, to vex me, 5. What if this present, 6. Since she whom I loved, 7. At the round earth’s imagined corners, 8. Thou has made me, 9. Death, be not proud; text J. Donne, 1945, premiere London 23 November 1945, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
Canticle No. 1 for high voice and piano Op. 40, text F. Quarles, 1947, premiere 1 November 1947, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
A Charm of Lullabies for mezzo-soprano and piano Op. 41: 1. A Cradle Song, text W. Blake; 2. The Highland Balou, text R. Burns; 3. Sephestia’s Lullaby, text R. Greene; 4. A Charm, text Th. Randolph; 5. The Nurse’s Song, text J. Philip; 1947
Canticle No. 2, Abraham and Isaac for alto, tenor and piano Op. 51, text from Chesterian mystery play, 1952, premiere Nottingham 21 January 1952, alto K. Ferrier, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
Winter Words for high voice and piano Op. 52: 1. At day-close in November, 2. Midnight on the Great Western, 3. Wagtail and Baby, 4. The little old table, 5. The Choirmaster’s Burial, 6. Proud Songsters, 7. At the Railway Station, Upway, 8. Before Life and After; text Th. Hardy, 1953, premiere Leeds 8 October 1953 (festival), tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
Canticle No. 3 for tenor, horn and piano Op. 55, text E. Sitwell, 1954, premiere London 28 January 1955, tenor P. Pears, horn D. Brain, piano B. Britten
6 Hölderlin-Fragmente for voice and piano Op. 61: 1. Menschenbeifall (The Applaus of Men), 2. Die Heimat (Home), 3. Sokrates und Alkibiades, 4. Die Jugend (Youth), 5. Hälfte des Lebens (The Middle of Life), 6. Die Linien des Lebens (Lines of Life); text F. Hölderlin (translation E. Mayer and P. Pears), 1958, premiere 28 November 1958, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten; Polish premiere Warsaw Autumn 19 September 1961, tenor P. Pears, piano B. Britten
Corpus Christi Carol for boy’s voice solo (or voices unisono) and organ, arrangement of variation no. 5 from A Boy was Born for mixed choir a cappella, text Anonym 15th century, 1961
The Ship of Rio for solo and piano, arrangement from the 3rd part of chorale 3 Part-Song, 1963
Songs and Proverbs of W. Blake for baritone and piano Op. 74, text W. Blake, 1965
The Poet’s Echo for high voice and piano Op. 76, text A. Pushkin, 1965
Our Hunting Fathers, symphonic cycle for soprano and orchestra Op. 8: Prologue; Rats Away!, text Anonym; Messalina, text Anonym; Dance of Death, text T. Ravenscroft; Epilogue and Funeral March; 1936, premiere Norwich 25 September 1936, soprano S. Wyss, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor B. Britten
Les illuminations for high voice and string orchestra Op. 18: 1. Fanfare, 2. Villes, 3. Phrase. Antique, 4. Royauté, 5. Marine, 6. Interlude, 7. Being Beauteous, 8. Parade, 9. Départ; text A. Rimbaud, 1939, premiere London 30 January 1940
Serenade for tenor, horn and string orchestra Op. 31: Prologue; 1. Pastoral, text J. Cotton; 2. Nocturne, text A. Tennyson; 3. Elegy, text W. Blake; 4. Dirge, text Anonym 15th century; 5. Hymn, text B. Jonson; 6. Sonnet, text J. Keats; Epilogue; 1943, premiere London 15 October 1943, tenor P. Pears, horn D. Brain, conductor W. Goehr
Children’s Crusade, a ballad for children’s voice and orchestra Op. 82, text by B. Brecht, 1969
Ballad of Heroes for tenor (or soprano) solo, choir and orchestra Op. 14: 1. Funeral March, 2. Scherzo (Dance of Death), 3. Recitative and Choral, 4. Epilogue (Funeral March); text R. Swingler, W. H. Auden, 1939, premiere London 5 April 1939 (festival), conductor C. Lambert
Rejoice in the Lamb, cantata for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra Op. 30, text Ch. Smart, 1943, premiere Northampton 21 September 1943
Saint Nicolas, cantata for tenor solo, mixed choir, soprano and alto choir, 4 boys’ voices, piano duo, percussion and organ Op. 42, text E. Crozier, 1948, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 5 June 1948, tenor P. Pears, Aldeburgh Festival Chorus, conductor L. Woodgate
Spring Symphony for soprano, alto, tenor solo, mixed choir, boy’s choir and orchestra Op. 44: 1. Introduction, text Anonym 16th century, The Merry Cuckoo, text E. Spenser, Spring, text Th. Nashe, The Driving Boy, text G. Peele, J. Clare, The Morning Star, text J. Milton; 2. Welcome, Maids of Honour, text R. Herrick, Waters above, text H. Vaughan, Out on the Lawn, text W. H. Auden; 3. When will my May come, text Barnefield, Fair and Fair, text G. Peele, Sound the Flute, text W. Blake; 4. Finale: London to thee I do present, text F. Beaumont, J. Fletcher; 1949, premiere Amsterdam 9 July 1949 (festival), soprano J. Vincent, alt K. Ferrier, tenor P. Pears, Dutch Radio Chorus, Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor E. van Beinum; Polish premiere Warsaw Autumn 17 October 1956, soprano Z. Stachurska, alto I. Winiarska, tenor A. Bachleda, Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, Boys’ Choir of the Krakow Philharmonic, conductor J. Gert
A Wedding Anthem for soprano and tenor solo, mixed choir and organ Op. 46, text R. Duncan, 1949
Noye’s Fludde, Chester mystery play for solo voices (including children’s), children’s choir, chamber ensemble and children’s orchestra Op. 59, 1957, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 18 June 1958, conductor Ch. Makerras
Nocturne for tenor solo, 7 instruments (flute, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, horn, harp timpani) and string orchestra Op. 60: Prometheus Unbound, text R. Schelley; The Kraken (with bassoon), text A. Tennyson; The Wanderings of Cain (with harp), text S. T. Coleridge; Blurt, Master Constable (with horn), text Th. Middleton; The Prelude (with timpani), text W. Wordsworth; The Kind Ghosts (with English horn), text R. Owen; Sleep and Poetry (with flute and clarinet), text J. Keats; Sonnet 43, text W. Shakespeare; 1958, premiere Leeds 16 October 1958 (festival), tenor P. Pears, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor R. Schwarz
Cantata academica, carmen Basiliense for soprano, alto, tenor, bass solo, mixed choir and orchestra Op. 62, Latin text compiled by B. Wyss from the Universal Statute and old orations of praise from Basel, 1959, premiere Basel 1 July 1960, soprano A. Giebel, alto E. Cavelti, tenor P Pears, bass H. Rehfuss, Basler Kammerorchester, conductor P. Sacher
War Requiem for soprano, tenor, baritone solo, mixed choir, boys’ choir, chamber orchestra and organ Op. 66, text from Missa pro defunctis and poems by W. Owen, 1961, premiere Coventry 30 May 1962, soprano H. Harper, tenor P. Pears, baryton D. Fischer-Dieskau, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conductor M. Davies, Melos Ensemble, conductor B. Britten
Cantata Misericordium for tenor and baritone solo, choir, string orchestra, piano, harp, timpani Op. 69, Latin text by P. Wilkinson, 1963, premiere Geneva 1 September 1963, tenor P. Pears, baritone D. Fischer-Dieskau, Motet de Genève, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conductor E. Ansermet
Canticle No. 4 for counter-tenor, tenor, baritone and piano, Op. 86, text Th. S. Eliot, 1971
Canticle No. 5 for tenor and harp, Op. 89, text Th. S. Eliot, 1975
Phaedra, cantata for mezzo-soprano, cello, harpsichord, strings and percussion, Op. 93, text J. B. Racine (trans. R. Lowell), 1975
Scenic:
Paul Bunyan, operetta, 2-act, libretto W. H. Auden, 1941, premiere New York 5 May 1941
Peter Grimes Op. 33, opera, 3-act, libretto M. Slater based on G. Crabbe, 1945, premiere London 7 June 1945, The Sadler’s Wells Opera Company, conductor R. Goodall; Polish premiere Warsaw Autumn 25 September 1958, Baltic Opera band, conductor Z. Latoszewski
The Rape of Lucretia Op. 37, chamber opera, 2-act, libretto R. Duncan based on A. Obey, 1946, premiere Glyndebourne 12 July 1946, Glyndebourne English Opera Company, conductor E. Ansermet; 2nd version: 1947
Albert Herring Op. 39, comic chamber opera, 3-act, libretto E. Crozier based on G. de Maupassant, 1947, premiere Glyndebourne 20 June 1947, English Opera Group, conductor B. Britten
The Beggar’s Opera Op. 43, comic ballad opera, 3-act, libretto J. Gay, 1948, premiere Cambridge 24 May 1948, English Opera Group, conductor B. Britten; Polish premiere Łódź 1957
Let’s make an Opera Op. 45, a show for children, the second part of which is the opera The Little Sweep, libretto E. Crozier, 1949, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 14 June 1949, English Opera Group, conductor N. Del Mar
Billy Budd Op. 50, opera, 4-act, libretto E. M. Forster I E. Crozier based on H. Melville, 1951, premiere London 1 December 1951, The Royal Opera, conductor B. Britten; 2nd version, 2-act: 1960, premiere BBC 13 November 1961, conductor B. Britten
Gloriana Op. 53, opera, 3-act, libretto W. Plomer based on L. Strachey, 1953, premiere London 8 June 1953, The Royal Opera, conductor J. Pritchard; 2nd version: 1967
The Turn of the Screw Op. 54, chamber opera, 2-act, libretto M. Piper based on H. James, 1954, premiere Venice 14 September 1954, English Opera Group, conductor B. Britten
The Prince of the Pagodas Op. 57, ballet, 3-act, libretto J. Cranko, 1956, premiere London 1 January 1957, The Royal Opera, conductor B. Britten
Noye’s Fludde Op. 59, mystery play (see pieces for voice, choir and orchestra)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op. 64, comic opera, 3-act, libretto B. Britten and P. Pears based on W. Shakespeare, 1960, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 11 June 1960, English Opera Group, conductor B. Britten
3 church parables for solo voices, choir, flute, horn, viola, double bass, harp, percussion (in the 2nd also trumpet): 1. Curlew River Op. 71, 1964, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 1964; 2. The Burning Fiery Furnace Op. 77, 1966, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 1966; 3. The Prodigal Son Op. 81, 1968, premiere Aldeburgh Festival 1968; libretto W. Plomer
Owen Wingrave, TV opera, libretto M. Piper based on H. James, 1971, premiere BBC 1971
Death in Venice, opera, libretto M. Piper based on Th. Mann, 1973, premiere 1973, English Opera Company
Editions:
Les Sylfides, ballet music based on F. Chopin, 1940, premiere New York 1940; Polish premiere Warsaw May 1958
H. Purcell Dido and Aeneas, opera, 3-act, libretto N. Tate, premiere Hammersmith 1 May 1951, English Opera Group, conductor B. Britten
