Search - B. Britten :: Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horns & Strings; Les Illuminations; Nocturnes; Sinfonia da Requiem; Simple Symphony; Four Sea Interludes; Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra
Prologue (horn solo)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
1. Pastoral The day's grown old (Charles Cotton)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
2. Nocturne The splendour falls on castle walls (Alfred, Lord Tennyson)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
3. Elegy O Rose, thou art sick (William Blake)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
4. Dirge This ae nighte (anon. 15th century)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
5. Hymn Queen and huntress (Ben Jonson)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
6. Sonnet O soft embalmer of the still midnight (John Keats)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
Epilogue (horn solo)- Serenade for tenor, horn and strings Op. 31
On a poet's lips I slept (Shelley)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
Below the thunders of the upper deep (Tennyson) (Robin O'Neill, bassoon)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
Encinctured with a twine of leaves (Coleridge) (Thelma Owen, harp)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
Midnight's bell goes ting, ting, ting, ting, ting (Middleton) (Frank Lloyd, french horn)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
But that night when on my bed I lay (Wordsworth) (David Corkhill, timpani)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
She sleeps on soft, last breaths (Owen) (James Brown, cor anglais)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
What is more gentle than a wind in summer? (Keats) (William Bennett, flute; Thea King, clarinet)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see (Shakespeare)- Nocturne for tenor solo, seven obbligato instruments and string orchestra Op. 60
Track Listings (26) - Disc #2
First movement Boisterous Bourrée- Simple Symphony Op. 4
Second movement Playful Pizzicato- Simple Symphony Op. 4
Third movement Sentimental Sarabande- Simple Symphony Op. 4
Fourth movement Frolicsome Finale- Simple Symphony Op. 4
I. Lacrymosa (Andante ben misurato) -- Sinfonia da Requiem Op. 20
II. Dies irae (Allegro con fuoco) -- Sinfonia da Requiem Op. 20
III. Requiem aeternam (Andante molto tranquillo)- Sinfonia da Requiem Op. 20
Dawn- 4 Sea Interludes Op. 33a
Sunday Morning- 4 Sea Interludes Op. 33a
Moonlight- 4 Sea Interludes Op. 33a
Storm- 4 Sea Interludes Op. 33a
Theme Allegro maestoso e largamente (full orchestra - woodwind - brass - strings - percussion - full orchestra)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34)
Variation A Presto (flutes & piccolo)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Woodwind
Variation B Lento (oboes)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Woodwind
Variation C Moderato (clarinets)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Woodwind
Variation D Allegro con marcia (bassoons)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Woodwind
Variation E Brillante, alla polacca (violins)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Strings
Variation F Meno mosso (violas)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Strings
Variation G L'istesso tempo (cellos)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Strings
Variation H Cominciando lento ma poco a poco accel. al Allegro (double basses)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Strings
Variation I Maestoso (harp)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Strings
Variation J L'istesso tempo (horns)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Brass
Variation K Vivace (trumpets)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Brass
Variation L Allegro pomposo (trombones & tuba)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34), Brass
Percussion - Variation M Moderato (percussion)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34)
Fugue Allegro molto - Con slancio (L'istesso tempo) (full orchestra)- The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell Op. 34)
Featuring the brilliantly diverse compositions of Englishman Benjamin Britten, this 2-CD set from EMI Classics features music written in the 20th century, a period of enormous upheaval, both political and artistic. During... more » these 100 years music went through an unprecedented period of revolution and transformation, and the music illustrates how these changes manifested themselves in the musical landscape.« less
Featuring the brilliantly diverse compositions of Englishman Benjamin Britten, this 2-CD set from EMI Classics features music written in the 20th century, a period of enormous upheaval, both political and artistic. During these 100 years music went through an unprecedented period of revolution and transformation, and the music illustrates how these changes manifested themselves in the musical landscape.
CD Reviews
I hope you find this review better than the other two
Ian George Fraser | Brazil | 01/05/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"
Let me nail my colors to the mast and say that I think Benjamin Britten was one of the greatest of all composers and musicians. The original recordings of his works made mostly in the 1960s with the composer himself conducting and artists like Peter Pears are beyond compare and above all in those works in which he sets words to music. Robert Tear is a worthy second, however, as tenor and Stueart Bedford and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra do nothing wrong in the accompaniment. My major complaint is that none of the texts are provided in the notes. This is a serious insult to many fine works of literature which stand in their own right and it is the only reason why I give this recording only 3 stars. Rimbaud in particular suffers, as few nowadays, especially in the English-speaking world, are familiar with his French poetry. He has been described as one the first "protest poet". Not only a text but a translation was needed.
Disc No.2 with the Liverpool PO and Pescek is more straightforward. I was interested to see how they would play they would play the famous "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra". Britten subtitled this, with his typical understatement and irony,"Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell". The composer was of course aware that the piece could be seen in two different ways, just as in the final fugue he has the theme being played simultaneously in two completely different tempi. It can be played purely as an orchestral tour de force, with all the various sections allowed to show off "for the kids" or it can be played in a more restrained manner, as per "Variations and Fugue....." In this recording Pescek opts for a middle approach with plenty of brilliant individual playing but a serious attitude to the work as a whole, which is one of the best things Britten ever wrote, inspired by his genuine love of childhood and children, whom he never underestimated.
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1