Benjamin Britten

Does the serenade need it's own thread or is it a general Britten thread?

I have to say that hearing "War Requiem" and "Peter Grimes" performed were two of the most intense live music experiences of my life.

I usually hate opera, but Peter Grimes belongs to a select group that I can get my head around. The four sea interludes from that are easy to get hold of and well worth it if you don't want to shell out for a big opera boxset. Some really nice horn writing in there too!

Britten's obviously hugely important in the UK, and he has a large international reputation on the back of the operas (Peter Grimes simply is one of the best operas of the 20thC), War Requiem and a couple of other bits and bobs, but because he wasn't part of the hardline modernist crew in the 1950s/60s it's very easy to write him out of the history books. Yet what he was doing, returning to a simpler, but highly refined and expressive musical language is still having a major influence - I know Arvo Part for one is a great admirer. In 10 or 20 years time he might be seen as more key figure than he is now.

He was the don, in other words.

I'd love to hear that Britten piece. I found an old black white photo of Snape Maltings dated from 1957 at the weekend, Britten was invloved in the music festival there wasn't he ?, used to go as kids to the area, would love to go to one of the concerts now.

i saw a performance on tuesday ft. this number:


and now i can't stop listening to it. where next for me w/vocal stuff like this? i am a classical ignoramus. except with shostakovich. don't test me on shostakovich

I don't know enough to recommend any specific songs, but if you like that English folk tune + off-kilter harmony thing, then as well as Britten have a look out for songs by Herbert Howells, Peter Warlock and Ralph Vaughan Williams.