BRITTEN, Benjamin
b Lowestoft, 22 November 1913
d Aldeburgh, 4 December 1976, aged sixty-three
His father was a dental surgeon, his mother a singer. He composed from the age of five and was taught piano, viola and composition, winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in 1930 and studying under Ireland and Benjamin. In 1935 he joined the GPO Film Unit and spent four years writing incidental music for films, which led to commissions for theatre and radio work. He met and collaborated with W. H. Auden, who had a great influence on him. In 1939, being a conscientious objector, he went to Canada and America, staying there for two and a half years, and returning to the UK in 1942. He returned to his old home at Snape, and in 1947 moved to Aldeburgh. At the suggestion of his friend Peter Pears the first Aldeburgh Festival was held there in 1948. At the end of 1955 he and Pears made an extended tour of the Far East. For Britten's operas and other large works the Snape Maltings was converted into a concert and opera theatre in 1967; though it was burned down in 1969 it was immediately rebuilt. In 1973 he was admitted to hospital with a heart lesion; and although he continued writing he never fully recovered.
1930 (17)
'Hymn to the Virgin'
1932 (19)
Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra
Phantasy Quartet for oboe and string trio
1933 (20)
A Boy was Born, choral variations for men's, women's and boys'
voices unaccompanied with organ ad lib
Two Part-songs for chorus and piano
Friday Afternoons, twelve children's songs with piano (1933-5)
1934 (21)
Simple Symphony, for string orchestra (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 (23)
Our Hunting Fathers, song cycle
Soirées musicales, suite
1937 (24)
Mont Juic, suite of Catalan Dances for orchestra (with Berkeley, L. qv)
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, for strings
On This Island, song cycle
1938 (25)
Piano Concerto No 1 in D major (revised 1945)
1939 (26)
Violin Concerto in D minor (revised 1958)
Canadian Carnival, for orchestra (1939-40)
Ballad of Heroes, for high voice, choir and orchestra
Les Illuminations, song cycle
1940 (27)
Diversions on a Theme, for piano (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 (28)
Scottish Ballad, for two pianos and orchestra
Matinées musicales, for orchestra
String Quartet No 1
1942 (29)
Hymn to St Cecilia, for five-part chorus with solos unaccompanied
A Ceremony of Carols, for treble voices and harp
1943 (30)
Rejoice in the Lamb, a festival cantata
Prelude and Fugue for strings
Serenade, song cycle for tenor, horn and strings
1944 (31)
Festival Te Deum, for chorus and organ
1945 (32)
Peter Grimes, opera
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, for high voice and piano
String Quartet No 2
1946 (33)
Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell (Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra), for speaker and orchestra
The Rape of Lucretia, opera
1947 (34)
Albert Herring, opera
Canticle No 1, 'My Beloved is Mine'
Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria for organ
1948 (35)
St Nicholas, for tenor, choir, strings, piano and percussion
The Beggar's Opera, by John Gay realised from original airs
1949 (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 (37)
Lachrymae, for viola and piano
Five Flower Songs, for unaccompanied chorus
1951 (38)
Billy Budd, opera
Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, for solo oboe
1952 (39)
Canticle No 2, 'Abraham and Isaac', for contralto, tenor and piano
1953 (40)
Gloriana, opera
Winter Words, songs
1954 (41)
The Turn of the Screw, opera
Canticle No 3, 'Still Falls the Rain', for tenor, chorus and piano
1955 (42)
Alpine Suite, for recorder trio
Hymn to St Peter, for choir and organ
1956 (43)
The Prince of the Pagodas, ballet
Antiphon, for mixed choir and organ
1957 (44)
Noye's Fludde, mystery play with music
Songs from the Chinese, for high voice and guitar
1958 (45)
Nocturne, song cycle for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings
Sechs Holderlin-Fragmente, song cycle
1959 (46)
Missa Brevis
Cantata Academica, Carmen Basiliense, for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soli, chorus and orchestra
1960 (47)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, opera
1961 (48)
War Requiem, for soprano, tenor and baritone soli, chorus, orchestra, chamber orchestra, boys' choir, and organ
Cello Sonata in C major
1963 (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 (51)
Curlew River, parable for church performance
Cello Suite No 1
1965 (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 (53)
The Burning Fiery Furnace, parable for church performance
The Golden Vanity, for boys and piano
1967 (54)
Cello Suite No 2
The Building of the House, overture, with or without chorus
1968 (55)
The Children's Crusade, for children's voices and orchestra
The Prodigal Son, parable for church performance
1969 (56)
Suite for harp
'Who are these children?', for tenor and piano
1970 (57)
Owen Wingrave, opera
1971 (58)
Cello Suite No 3
Canticle No 4, 'Journey of the Magi'
1973 (60)
Death in Venice, opera
1974 (61)
Canticle No 5, 'The Death of St Narcissus', for tenor and harp
Suite on English Folk Tunes for orchestra
A Birthday Hansel, for voice and harp
1975 (62)
Phaedra, dramatic cantata for mezzo-soprano and small orchestra
String Quartet No 3
Sacred and Profane, eight medieval Lyrics for unaccompanied voices
1976 (63)
Eight Folk Song Arrangements with harp and piano
Welcome Ode, for young people's chorus and orchestra
For further detail visit the Britten
Web-site