BENJAMIN BRITTEN: A CHRONOLOGY OF HIS WORKS by Rob Barnett

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A CHRONOLOGY OF HIS WORKS by Rob Barnett

1930 (aged 17)
Hymn to the Virgin

1932 (aged 19)
Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra
Phantasy Quartet for oboe and string trio

1933 (aged 20)
A Boy was Born, choral variations for men’s, women’s and voices unaccompanied with organ ad lib
Two Part-songs for chorus and piano
Friday Afternoons, twelve children’s songs with piano (1933-5)

1934 (aged 21)
Simple Symphony, for string orchestra (aged based entirely on material which the composer wrote between the ages of nine and twelve
Suite for violin and piano (1934-5)
Holiday Diary, suite for piano
Te Deum in C major

1936 (aged 23)
Our Hunting Fathers, song-cycle
Soirées musicales, suite

1937 (aged 24)
Mont Juic, suite of Catalán Dances for orchestra (aged with Berkeley)
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, for strings
On This Island, song cycle

1938(aged 25)
Piano Concerto in D major (revised 1945)

1939 (aged 26)
Violin Concerto in D minor (revised 1958)
Canadian Carnival (Kermesse Canadienne), for orchestra (1939-40)
Ballad of Heroes, for high voice, choir and orchestra
Les Illuminations, song cycle

1940 (aged 27)
Diversions on a Theme, for piano (aged left hand) and orchestra
Paul Bunyan, operetta (c1940-1, revised 1974)
Sinfonia da Requiem, for orchestra
Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, for tenor and piano

1941 (aged 28)
Scottish Ballad, for two pianos and orchestra
Matinées musicales, for orchestra
String Quartet No. 1

1942 (aged 29)
Hymn to St Cecilia, for five-part chorus with solos unaccompanied
A Ceremony of Carols, for treble voices and harp

1943 (aged 30)
Rejoice in the Lamb, a festival cantata
Prelude and Fugue for 18 strings
Serenade, song cycle for tenor, horn and strings

1944 (aged 31)
Festival Te Deum, for chorus and organ

1945 (aged 32)
Peter Grimes, opera
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for high voice and piano
String Quartet No. 2

1946 (aged 33)
Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (aged Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell) for speaker and orchestra
The Rape of Lucretia, opera

1947 (aged 34)
Albert Herring, opera
Canticle No. 1 ‘My Beloved is Mine’
Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria for organ

1948 (aged 35)
St Nicolas, for tenor, choir, strings, piano and percussion
The Beggar’s Opera (John Gay realised from original airs)

1949 (aged 36)
The Little Sweep (Let’s Make an Opera)
Spring Symphony for three solo singers. Mixed choir, boys’ choir and orchestra
A Wedding Anthem for soprano, tenor, chorus and organ

1950 (aged 37)
Lachrymae for viola and piano
Five Flower Songs for unaccompanied chorus

1951 (aged 38)
Billy Budd, opera
Six Metamorphoses after Ovid

1952 (aged 39)
Canticle No. 2, ‘Abraham and Isaac’, for contralto, tenor and piano

1953 (aged 40)
Gloriana, opera
Winter Words, songs

1954 (aged 41)
The Turn of the Screw, opera
Canticle No. 3, ‘Still Falls the Rain’, for tenor, horn and piano

1955 (aged 42)
Alpine Suite for recorder trio
Hymn to St Peter, for choir and organ

1956 (aged 43)
The Prince of the Pagodas ballet
Antiphon for mixed choir and organ

1957 (aged 44)
Noye’s Fludde, mystery play with music
Songs from the Chinese, for high voice and guitar

1958 (aged 45)
Nocturne song cycle for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings
Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente song-cycle

1959 (aged 46)
Missa Brevis
Cantata Academica for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soli, chorus and orchestra

1960 (aged 47)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, opera

1961 (aged 48)
War Requiem, for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chorus, orchestra, chamber orchestra, boys’ choir and organ
Cello Sonata in C major

1963 (aged 50)
Symphony for cello and orchestra
Cantata Misericordium for tenor, baritone, string quartet, string orchestra, piano, harp and timpani
Nocturnal, after John Dowland, for guitar

1964 (aged 51)
Curlew River, parable for church performance
Cello Suite No. 1

1965 (aged 52)
Gemini Variations, for flute, violin and piano (four hands)
Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, for voice and piano,
Voices for Today, anthem for chorus
The Poet’s Echo, for high voice and piano

1966 (aged 53)
The Burning Fiery Furnace, parable for church performance
The Golden Vanity, for boys and piano

1967 (aged 54)
Cello Suite No. 2
The Building of the House, overture, with or without chorus

1968 (aged 55)
The Children’s Crusade, for children’s voices and orchestra
The Prodigal Son, parable for church performance

1969 (aged 56)
Suite for harp
Who Are These Children for tenor and piano

1970 (aged 57)
Owen Wingrave opera

1971 (aged 57)
Cello Suite No. 3
Canticle No. 4 Journey of the Magi

1973 (aged 60)
Death in Venice opera

1974 (aged 61)
Canticle No. 5 The Death of St Narcissus for tenor and harp
Suite on English Folk Tunes - A Time There Was
A Birthday Hansel for voice and harp

1975 (aged 62)
Phaedra - a dramatic cantata for mezzo-soprano and small orchestra
String Quartet No. 3
Sacred and Profane, eight medieval lyrics for unaccompanied voices

1976 (aged 63)
Eight Folk Song Arrangements with harp and piano
Welcome Ode, for young people’s chorus and orchestra

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BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976)

A CHRONOLOGY OF HIS WORKS by Rob Barnett