# Britten's orchestral magic



## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Who here is just floored by Britten's ability to write for instruments in such awesome and unusual ways? At first I found him difficult to listen to, but his Violin Concerto made me a convert. Recently I heard his Four Sea Interludes live and that was a wonderful experience. I haven't paid much attention to the whole piece, but the parts I'd never heard before I found myself really digging! His Sinfonia da Requiem is another favorite. Now, what would you recommend as his best works for showing his amazing and strange orchestration? I love the unconventional and surprising composers.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

A lot of his finest orchestral works were written for the voice, but if it's non-vocal works you are after then I think the following three which span his career are definitely of interest:

Simple Symphony op. 4 for String Orchestra - by 1934. BB had this completed by the time he was 20. It's an incredibly accomplished work bearing in mind he reworked it from material written while still a schoolboy. 

Diversions for Piano (left hand) and Orchestra op. 21 - 1940. Written as you might guess for Roy Wittgenstein, this is a theme with variations work.

Cello Symphony op. 68 - 1963. Written for his good mate Slava Rostropovich. The title wasn't arrogance on BB's part - it was designated as a symphony rather than concerto as the orchestra is more of an 'equal partner'.


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

His string quartets are worth listening to. Those are the only pieces I really know by him. They are written in strange idiomatic ways just as you suggest with his orchestral works.

EDIT: I just realized I was typing this in the Orchestral music section of the thread....Oh well!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

elgars ghost said:


> Cello Symphony op. 68 - 1963. Written for his good mate Slava Rostropovich. The title wasn't arrogance on BB's part - it was designated as a symphony rather than concerto as the orchestra is more of an 'equal partner'.


I have the London CD featuring the cello symphony, Sinfonia da Requiem, and Cantata Misericordium. A great disc! http://www.amazon.com/Britten-Symphony-Sinfonia-Requiem-misericordium/dp/B00000INXW


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## Jeremy Marchant (Mar 11, 2010)

For me, it is Britten's writing for solo voice that really sets him apart. It is worth thinking about his orchestral writing in vocal terms.

Starting with the song cycles _Nocturne _- in which the tenor is accompanied by a different obbligato instrument in each song - and _Serenade _for tenor and horn (both cycles have string orchestras), and moving on to his exceptional skill at writing for string ensembles, it all seems to start with the voice, even when noone is singing.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

you might like his string quartets - there are three, I think - I only know #1 but Britten is such a master.



clavichorder said:


> Who here is just floored by Britten's ability to write for instruments in such awesome and unusual ways? At first I found him difficult to listen to, but his Violin Concerto made me a convert. Recently I heard his Four Sea Interludes live and that was a wonderful experience. I haven't paid much attention to the whole piece, but the parts I'd never heard before I found myself really digging! His Sinfonia da Requiem is another favorite. Now, what would you recommend as his best works for showing his amazing and strange orchestration? I love the unconventional and surprising composers.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

I love his vocal music - and I think you're right - it is the source of all his music. That Serenade is so beautiful and Peter Grimes, despite the strange tale, is a masterpiece. I love the 'Look the Storm Cone' scene early in the first Act when the chorus sings a virtual sea storm!



Jeremy Marchant said:


> For me, it is Britten's writing for solo voice that really sets him apart. It is worth thinking about his orchestral writing in vocal terms.
> 
> Starting with the song cycles _Nocturne _- in which the tenor is accompanied by a different obbligato instrument in each song - and _Serenade _for tenor and horn (both cycles have string orchestras), and moving on to his exceptional skill at writing for string ensembles, it all seems to start with the voice, even when noone is singing.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10
War Requiem, Op. 66


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Try to get the late great tenor Robert Tear's recording of the _Srenade for tenor, horn & strings_, under the baton of Carlo Maria Guilini. It has this animalistic "beast" intensity, which I find missing from the more refined and stylised other recordings. I'm not sure if it's in print but I had it ages ago on LP on the DGG label. Worth looking out for, I rarely recommend a specific recording, but this was superb and so "real"...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Not an orchestral work, but an early chamber piece that you might find "surprising" at least in contrast with his orchestral style from his later mature years:-


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

I will recommend some of Britten's most colourful and imaginative orchestral works not yet mentioned:

_The Prince of the Pagodas_ (ballet)
Suite on English Folksongs _A Time There Was..._
_Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge_ (for strings only, but full of fascinating sonorities)
_The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra_ (_Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell_)

The _Passacaglia_ from _Peter Grimes_ is also well worth exploring as a companion piece to the _Four Sea Interludes_.


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