Benjamin Britten
Notable works by Benjamin Britten.
A Birthday Hansel
A Birthday Hansel, Op. 92, is a song cycle for 'high voice' and harp composed by Benjamin Britten and set to texts by Robert Burns. The last song cycle that Britten wrote, it was composed in honour
Read → WorkA Boy Was Born
A Boy Was Born, Op. 3, is a choral composition by Benjamin Britten. Subtitled Choral variations for men's, women's and boys' voices, unaccompanied (organ ad lib), it was originally composed from 1932
Read → WorkA Ceremony of Carols
A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 is an extended choral composition for Christmas by Benjamin Britten scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. The text, structured in eleven movements,
Read → WorkA Charm of Lullabies
A Charm of Lullabies, Op.41 is a song cycle for mezzo-soprano with piano accompaniment by Benjamin Britten. It consists of five songs composed on poems by William Blake, Robert Burns, Robert Greene,
Read → WorkA Hymn of St Columba
A Hymn of St Columba is a composition for choir and organ written in 1962 by the English composer Benjamin Britten. It is a setting of a Latin hymn attributed to Saint Columba, the founder of Iona
Read → WorkA Midsummer Night's Dream (opera)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64, is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Read → WorkAlbert Herring
Albert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten. Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of
Read → WorkAn American Overture
An American Overture (originally titled Occasional Overture), Op. 27 is an orchestral composition by Benjamin Britten. It was composed in 1941, while Britten and his life partner, the tenor Peter
Read → WorkBeware! Three Early Songs
Beware! Three Early Songs is a song cycle for voice and piano composed by Benjamin Britten and set to texts by Herbert Asquith, Robert Burns and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "Beware!" and "O that I
Read → WorkBilly Budd (opera)
Billy Budd, Op. 50, is an opera by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by the novelist E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, based on the novella Billy Budd by Herman Melville. Originally in four acts, the
Read → WorkBritten's Purcell realizations
Britten's Purcell realizations is a common name for compositions for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten which are arrangements of works by Henry Purcell. Boosey & Hawkes published 45 of them, titled
Read → WorkBritten's War Requiem (1963 recording)
The Decca 1963 recording of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem was the first set of the work to be released. It features Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau with the London
Read → WorkCantata academica
, Op. 62, is a 1959 cantata by Benjamin Britten to a Latin text. It was commissioned by Paul Sacher for the quincentenary of the University of Basel. He conducted the premiere on 1July
Read → WorkCantata misericordium
, op. 69, is a 1963 musical composition by British composer Benjamin Britten. Its single movement is based on the parable of the Good Samaritan with a Latin text by Patrick Wilkinson, and was
Read → WorkCanticle I: My beloved is mine and I am his
Canticle I: My beloved is mine and I am his, Op.40, is a composition for high voice and piano by Benjamin Britten, the first part of his series of five Canticles. It was composed for a memorial
Read → WorkCanticle II: Abraham and Isaac
Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op.51, is a composition for tenor, alto and piano by Benjamin Britten, part of his series of five Canticles. Commissioned to be performed as a fundraiser for the
Read → WorkCanticle III: Still falls the rain
Canticle III: Still falls the rain, Op. 55, is a 1954 vocal composition by Benjamin Britten for tenor, horn and piano. It is part of his series
Read → WorkCanticle IV: The Journey of the Magi
Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi, Op. 86, is a composition for three male solo voices and piano by Benjamin Britten, part of his series of five Canticles. It sets the text of T. S. Eliot's poem
Read → WorkCanticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus
Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus, Op. 89, is a 1974 composition for tenor and harp by Benjamin Britten, the last part of his series of five Canticles. Britten set a poem by T. S. Eliot,
Read → WorkCanticles (Britten)
The Canticles constitute a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation
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The Cello Sonata, Op. 65, is a work by the English composer Benjamin Britten. It was premiered in July 1961 at the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk. The work is in five
Read → WorkCello suites (Britten)
The cello suites by Benjamin Britten (Opp. 72, 80, and 87) are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental
Read → WorkChildren's Crusade (Britten)
Children's Crusade, Op. 82, subtitled a Ballad for children's voices and orchestra is a composition by Benjamin Britten. He completed it in 1969, setting Bertolt Brecht's poem for children's choir
Read → WorkCorpus Christi Carol
The Corpus Christi Carol, or Falcon Carol, is a Middle or Early Modern English hymn (or carol), first written down by an apprentice grocer named Richard Hill between 1504 and 1536. The original
Read → WorkCurlew River
Curlew River – A Parable for Church Performance (Op. 71) is an English music drama, with music by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by William Plomer. The first of Britten's three 'Parables for Church
Read → WorkDavid Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is a classical music album originally released by RCA Red Seal Records on 2 May 1978. Produced by Jay David Saks, the first side contains a
Read → WorkDeath in Venice (opera)
Death in Venice, Op. 88, is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, his last. The opera is based on Death in Venice, a novella by Thomas Mann. The opera's libretto is by Myfanwy Piper. Her husband
Read → WorkDiversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra
Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, Op. 21, is a concertante music composition by Benjamin
Read → WorkFanfare (ballet)
Fanfare is a one-act ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins to Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, in celebration of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The ballet
Read → WorkFanfare for St Edmundsbury
The Fanfare for St Edmundsbury is a fanfare for three trumpets written by the British composer Benjamin Britten for a "Pageant of Magna Carta" in the grounds of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St
Read → WorkFestival Te Deum (Britten)
The Festival Te Deum, Op. 32, a sacred choral piece by the English composer Benjamin Britten, is a setting of the Te Deum from the Book of Common Prayer. It was composed in 1944 to celebrate the
Read → WorkFive Flower Songs
Benjamin Britten's Five Flower Songs, Op. 47, is a set of five part songs to poems in English by four authors which mention flowers, composed for four voices (SATB) in 1950 as a gift for the 25th
Read → WorkFriday Afternoons
Friday Afternoons is a collection of twelve song settings by Benjamin Britten, composed 1933–35 for the pupils of Clive House School, Prestatyn, Wales where his brother, Robert, was headmaster. Two
Read → WorkGloriana
Gloriana, Op. 53, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Lytton Strachey's 1928 Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History. The first performance
Read → WorkHymn to St Cecilia
Hymn to St Cecilia, Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942. Auden's original title was "Three Songs for St.
Read → WorkHymn to St Peter
Hymn to St Peter (Op. 56a) is a cantata for treble soloist, SATB choir and organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1955. The piece was the last Britten composed before he first travelled to Asia. He
Read → WorkJubilate Deo (Britten)
Benjamin Britten's Jubilate Deo is a sacred choral setting of Psalm 100 in English, written in 1961 for St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, "at the request of H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh". Britten
Read → WorkLes Illuminations (Britten)
(The Illuminations), Op. 18, is a song cycle by Benjamin Britten, first performed in 1940. It is composed for soprano or tenor soloist and string orchestra, and sets verse and prose poems written in
Read → WorkLevy-Dew
"Levy-Dew", also known as "A New Year Carol" and "Residue", is a British folk song of Welsh origin traditionally sung in New Year celebrations. It is associated with a New Year's Day custom involving
Read → WorkMatinées musicales
Matinées musicales is a 1941 composition by Benjamin Britten using music composed by Gioachino Rossini in and around the 1830s. The suite is a successor to Britten's earlier suite based on Rossini,
Read → WorkMissa Brevis (Britten)
The Missa Brevis in D, Op. 63, is a setting of the Latin mass completed by Benjamin Britten on Trinity Sunday, 1959. Set for three-part treble choir and organ, it was written for London's Roman
Read → WorkMont Juic (suite)
Mont Juic, suite of Catalan dances for orchestra (), was written jointly by Lennox Berkeley and Benjamin Britten in 1937. Named for Montjuïc, it was published as Berkeley's Op. 9 and Britten's Op.
Read → WorkMusic for a Time of War
Music for a Time of War is a 2011 concert program and subsequent album by the Oregon Symphony under the artistic direction of Carlos Kalmar. The program consists of four compositions inspired by war:
Read → WorkNocturne (Britten)
Nocturne, Op. 60, is a song cycle by Benjamin Britten, written for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings. The seven instruments are flute, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon, harp, French horn
Read → WorkNoye's Fludde
Noye's Fludde (Middle English for Noah's Flood) is a one-act opera by the British composer Benjamin Britten, intended primarily for amateur performers, particularly children. First performed on 18
Read → WorkOur Hunting Fathers
Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8, is an orchestral song cycle by Benjamin Britten, first performed in 1936. Its text, assembled and partly written by W. H. Auden, with a pacifist slant, puzzled audiences
Read → WorkOwen Wingrave
Owen Wingrave, Op. 85, is an opera in two acts with music by Benjamin Britten and libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a short story by Henry James. It was originally written for televised performance.
Read → WorkPaul Bunyan (operetta)
Paul Bunyan, Op 17, is an operetta in two acts and a prologue composed by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by W. H. Auden, designed for performance by semi-professional groups. It premiered at Columbia
Read → WorkPeter Grimes
Peter Grimes, Op. 33, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Montagu Slater based on the section "Peter Grimes", in George Crabbe's long narrative poem The Borough (1810).
Read → WorkPhantasy Quartet
Phantasy Quartet, Op. 2, is the common name of a piece of chamber music by Benjamin Britten, a quartet for oboe and string trio composed in 1932. In the composer's catalogue, it is given as Phantasy,
Read → WorkPiano Concerto (Britten)
Benjamin Britten's Piano Concerto, Op. 13, is the composer's sole piano
Read → WorkPlymouth Town
Plymouth Town is a ballet composed by Benjamin Britten in 1931. A typical performance lasts about 25 minutes. It was written between the 12 and 28 August and completed on 22 November 1931, shortly
Read → WorkPrelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria
Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria is a work for solo organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1946. It was commissioned for St Matthew's Church, Northampton and first performed on 21 September
Read → WorkReflection (Britten)
Reflection is a composition for viola and piano by Benjamin Britten, composed in 1930. It was published by Faber &
Read → WorkRejoice in the Lamb
Rejoice in the Lamb (Op. 30) is a cantata for four soloists, SATB choir and organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1943 and uses text from the poem Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart (1722–71). The
Read → WorkSaint Nicolas (Britten)
Saint Nicolas, Op. 42, is a cantata with music by Benjamin Britten on a text by Eric Crozier, completed in 1948. It covers the legendary life of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, Lycia, in a dramatic
Read → WorkSerenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings
The Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31, is a song cycle written in 1943 by Benjamin Britten for tenor, solo horn and a string orchestra. Composed during the Second World War at the request
Read → WorkSimple Symphony
The Simple Symphony, Op. 4, is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten. It was written between December 1933 and February 1934 in Lowestoft, using material that the composer
Read → WorkSinfonia da Requiem
Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20, for orchestra is a sinfonia written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese
Read → WorkSinfonietta (Britten)
Benjamin Britten's Sinfonietta was composed in 1932, at the age of 18, while he was a student at the Royal College of Music. The sinfonietta was first performed in 1933 at The Ballet Club, London
Read → WorkSix Metamorphoses after Ovid
Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49, is an unaccompanied piece for solo oboe written by English composer Benjamin Britten. The work was composed in 1951 as a means of relaxation while Britten was
Read → WorkSoirées musicales
Soirées musicales, (Musical Evenings), Op. 9, is a suite of five movements by Benjamin Britten, using music composed by Gioachino Rossini. The suite, first performed in 1937, derives its title from
Read → WorkSongs and Proverbs of William Blake
Songs and Proverbs of William Blake is a song cycle composed by Benjamin Britten (191376) in 1965 for baritone voice and piano and published as his Op. 74. The published score states that the words
Read → WorkSpring Symphony
Spring Symphony is a choral symphony by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 44. The work is scored for soprano, alto and tenor soloists, mixed choir, boys' choir and orchestra. Britten used texts of several
Read → WorkString Quartet in D major (Britten)
String Quartet in D major (with neither an official number or an opus number) by English composer Benjamin Britten was written in 1931. He revised it during his final illness, and it was first
Read → WorkString Quartet No. 1 (Britten)
String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, by English composer Benjamin Britten, was written in the U.S. in
Read → WorkString Quartet No. 2 (Britten)
String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36, by English composer Benjamin Britten, was written in 1945. It was composed in Snape, Suffolk and London, and completed on 14 October. The first performance
Read → WorkString Quartet No. 3 (Britten)
String Quartet No. 3 in G major, Op. 94, by English composer Benjamin Britten was his last completed major work, and his last completed instrumental work. It was written in OctoberNovember 1975
Read → WorkTe Deum in C (Britten)
The Te Deum in C is a sacred choral composition by Benjamin Britten, a setting of the Te Deum on the English text from the Book of Common Prayer. Britten wrote it between 11 July and 17 September
Read → WorkTema "Sacher"
The Tema "Sacher" is a composition for solo cello by Benjamin Britten. He composed it between December 1975 and January 1976. It resulted from a request by the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who
Read → WorkThe Building of the House
The Building of the House, op. 79 is an "overture with or without chorus" by Benjamin Britten written in 1967. The overture is notable for the use of Asian-influenced
Read → WorkThe Burning Fiery Furnace
The Burning Fiery Furnace is an English music drama with music composed by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 77, to a libretto by William Plomer. One of Britten's three Parables for Church Performances,
Read → WorkThe Company of Heaven
The Company of Heaven is a composition for soloists, speakers, choir, timpani, organ, and string orchestra by Benjamin Britten. The title refers to angels, the topic of the work, reflected in texts
Read → WorkThe Golden Vanity (Britten)
The Golden Vanity is a musical setting of an adaptation by Colin Graham of a traditional folk song, also known as "The Sweet Trinity", for boys' voices (five soloists and chorus) and piano by the
Read → WorkThe Holy Sonnets of John Donne
The Holy Sonnets of John Donne is a song cycle composed in 1945 by Benjamin Britten for tenor or soprano voice and piano, and published as his Op. 35. It was written for himself and his life-partner,
Read → WorkThe Little Sweep
The Little Sweep, Op. 45, is an opera for children in three scenes by the English composer Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Eric
Read → WorkThe National Anthem (Benjamin Britten)
The National Anthem is a 1962 choral and orchestral arrangement of God Save the Queen by Benjamin Britten. The arrangement was written for the Leeds Festival. It has been described as an
Read → WorkThe Poet's Echo
The Poet's Echo (Russian title: Эхо поэта) is a song cycle composed by Benjamin Britten (191376) in August 1965 during a holiday visit with Peter Pears to Dilijan, Armenia, during the “Days of
Read → WorkThe Prince of the Pagodas
The Prince of the Pagodas is a ballet created for The Royal Ballet by choreographer John Cranko with music commissioned from Benjamin Britten. Its premiere took place on 1 January 1957 at the Royal
Read → WorkThe Prodigal Son (Britten)
The Prodigal Son is a music drama by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by William Plomer. Based on the Biblical story of the Prodigal Son, this was Britten's third "parable for church performance",
Read → WorkThe Rape of Lucretia
The Rape of Lucretia (Op. 37) is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, written for Kathleen Ferrier, who performed the title role. Ronald Duncan based his English libretto on André Obey's play
Read → WorkThe Turn of the Screw (opera)
The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54, is a 20th-century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, based on the 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
Read → WorkThe Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34, is a 1945 musical composition by Benjamin Britten with a subtitle Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell. It was based on the second movement (a
Read → WorkThis England (album)
This England is a classical music album by the Oregon Symphony under the artistic direction of Carlos Kalmar, released by Dutch record label PentaTone Classics in November 2012. The album was
Read → WorkVariations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, is a work for string orchestra by Benjamin Britten. It was written in 1937 at the request of Boyd Neel, who conducted his orchestra at the premiere of
Read → WorkVariations on an Elizabethan Theme
Variations on an Elizabethan Theme (also seen as Variations on Sellinger's Round) is a set of variations for string orchestra, written collaboratively in 1952 by six English composers: Lennox
Read → WorkViolin Concerto (Britten)
Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, Op. 15, was written from 1938 to 1939 and dedicated to Henry Boys, his fellow pupil and close friend at the Royal College of Music. Britten worked on it while
Read → WorkWar Requiem
The War Requiem, Op. 66, is a choral and orchestral composition by Benjamin Britten, composed mostly in 1961 and completed in January 1962. The War Requiem was performed for the consecration of the
Read → WorkYoung Apollo
Young Apollo, Op. 16, is a music composition for piano, string quartet and string orchestra composed in 1939 by Benjamin Britten. Following a performance of Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank
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