Benjamin Britten

1. Benjamin Britten 1913-1976 Aaron Green, Music 1010

2. Composer, Conductor, and Musician “It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature and everlasting beauty of monotony.”-Benjamin Britten

3. Personal Biography • Prolific adolescent composer • Influenced by Frank Bridge • Born in England • Traveled and work in America from 1939-1942 • Developed Aldeburgh Festival • Life & musical journey with Peter Pears • Knighthood before death • Composed operas, wrote music scores & chamber music, and an accomplished pianist.

4. The Music • Some of the more famous work includes: Peter Grimes (1945), Young Apollo, Rape of Lucretia, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1946),A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Death in Venice (1973).

5. A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra Op.34 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4vbvhU22uAM

6. Listening Guide The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 0:00—the music score begins with a swelling harmony of the full orchestra playing in unison. At the zenith of the swell, the rhythm quickens and decrescendos several times with highlights on the xylophone. 0:28—the swell repeats with a subdued timbre of flutes. After which the French horns and Trumpets along with other brass instruments combine creating a regal texture. 1:10—the dynamics of the instruments change from the brass to the string instruments repeating the melody and rhythm of the piece. 1:27—kettle drums, symbols, tambourines, and a triangle interject a variation in the melody 1:43—the repeat of the melody, from the introduction, by the full orchestra continues the swell and decrescendo. 2:02—a variation of flutes and piccolos, similar to the interjection by the percussion, highlight the sounds of theses wind instruments by playing notes up and down the scale. 2:35—the oboe supported by an undertone of Chellos continues as a subdued rhythm to introduce a change to the dynamics of the piece. 3:23—the violin begins only to be followed by clarinets which are used to focus on this reed instrument by quickening the pace. 4:20—the bassoon playing a staccato rhythm is now introduced and being supported by percussion drums in the background which thump along. 5:03—at this point the overall form of the piece is dramatically altered by introducing new dynamics in harmony, rhythm, and texture.

7. Listening Guide Continued… 5:11—the melody resembles the swinging dance rhythms of a waltz highlighted by string instruments. The sound decrescendos to near silence, almost pausing momentarily, to introduce a new dynamic in the texture of the piece. 5:49—a soft subdued sound carries the listener along a melodic malaise. 7:30—conintuation of soft subdued sound dominated by the violins and bassoons. 7:54—multiple changes in tempo offset the rhythm set by the Chellos and percussion. 8:10—again the pace of the music slows almost to a stop preparing to introduce a new sound of the orchestra 8:55—the harp is the main focus for this portion of the score accented by the symbols nearing the end of the solo. 9:42—drifting, melodic pace continues with the French horn being the instrument of focus. 10:33—the pace rapidly picks up lead by the trumpets and carried throughout the full orchestra as the music crescendos. 10:59—the quickened alternating pace highlighted by the trombone, flutes, clarinets, and tuba swings the listener’s attention between the melodic differences of the brass, wind, and string instruments. 12:12—percussion section highlighted the winding down portion of the score featuring the kettle drums, snare drums, triangle, xylophone, tambourine, wood block, castanets, timpani, tamtam, and whip. 14:10—the buildup towards the conclusion of the piece involves introducing each orchestra section layer by layer. First layer is features the wind instruments followed by the reed instruments. Next, the strings add an additional layer which includes the harp. Then the brass and percussion join in to the full orchestra’s frenetic swelling conclusion. 16:49—the conclusion.