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Benjamin Britten at 100

Nov. 05, 2013

Benjamin Britten at 100

November 22 marks the centennial of Benjamin Britten's birth, and throughout the month over 1300 events are taking place worldwide in celebration of the occasion. Mstislav Rostropovich famously said, “I am sure that Britten’s time has not yet come; his greatness is not yet realized in full measure by the world. But his time is coming, like that of Mahler and Shostakovich before him.” With the magnitude of current enthusiasm surrounding his music, it's safe to say that Britten's time has indeed come!

In addition to the events taking place internationally, several dedicated performances are scheduled accross the United States. Britten’s two-act opera, Owen Wingrave, which was commissioned by the BBC in 1966, opens on November 21 in a run of three performances at the University of Cincinnati’s Patricia Corbett Theater, under the baton of Johannes Müller-Stosch. The production, directed by Kenneth Shaw, is presented by the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Mainstage Opera.

An American Overture receives a performance by the Utah Symphony under the direction of Thierry Fischer on November 22 and 23. The concert is presented with the theme “Remembering JFK,” which pairs Britten’s centennial with the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death.

Major performances in the United Kingdom include a production of Death in Venice by Opera North of Leeds, under the baton of Richard Farnes and directed by Yoshi Oida, which opens on October 17 at the Leeds Grand Theatre. Additionally, the Barbican presents a two-week celebration titled “Barbican Britten” that aims to illuminate Britten’s life and influences. The program opens on November 6 with a collaborative performance between the Richard Alston Dance Company and Britten Sinfonia, which includes world premiere choreography set to Britten’s Phaedra, with mezzo-soprano Allison Cook.  

Further UK performances include Britten’s Quatre Chansons Françaises with soprano Elizabeth Watts and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on November 21 in Glasgow as well as a performance of Suite on English Folk Tunes (A Time There Was) on November 9, with the Sussex Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mark Andrew James. The spectacular surroundings of Arundel Cathedral in West Sussex make for a wonderful backdrop to this event.

A complete list of Benjamin Britten performances across the globe can be found at www.britten100.org.

For more information on Benjamin Britten, please visit www.fabermusic.com. 

Benjamin Britten
Owen Wingrave (1971)
opera in two acts
libretto (Eng) by Myfanwy Piper based on the short story by Henry James
for 3 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, 3 tenors, baritone and bass-baritone
2(2.pic).2.2(2.bcl, Ebcl).2(2.cbsn)-2.2.2.1-timp-3perc-pno.hp-str
106’

An American Overture (1941)
for orchestra
3(3.pic).3.3(3.bcl).3-4.3.3.1-timp.2perc-cel(pno).2hp-str
10’

Death in Venice (1973)
opera in 2 acts based on the novella by Thomas Mann
libretto (Eng) Myfanwy Piper
for tenor, bass-baritone, and counter tenor
(2.bcl)2-2.2.2.1-timp.5perc-pno.hrp-str(min 6.4.3.3.2)
145’

Phaedra (1975)
text (Eng) by Robert Lowell after Racine's Phèdre
dramatic cantata for mezzo-soprano and small orchestra
timp.2perc-hpd-str
15'

Quatre Chansons Françaises (1928)
for soprano and small orchestra
2.1.2.bcl.2-4.0.0.0-perc-pno.hp-str
15’

Suite on English Folk Tunes – A Time There Was (1974)
for orchestra
2(2.pic).2(2.ca).2.2-2.2.0.0-timp.2perc-hp-str
14’

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