BENJAMIN BRITTEN The Sword in the Stone Concert Suite
“ The old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and staying up all night to write it is nonsense . Nighttime is for sleeping .” – Britten
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1913 in Lowestoft , U . K .; died 1976 in Aldeburgh , U . K .
• Born in a small fishing port town in England , Britten grew up in a musical family . His mother was a talented amateur musician , and she regularly hosted musical soirées at their home and gave Britten his earliest music lessons .
• While studying composition at the Royal College of Music , Britten won several prestigious awards , and his pieces started gaining attention . While he was still in school , several of his works were even broadcast on the BBC . Upon graduating , Britten composed scores for BBC films .
• In 1937 , Britten met the tenor Peter Pears who would go on to play a central role in his life . The two became close friends and musical collaborators , eventually falling in love and spending the remainder of their lives together .
• Britten was a member of the Peace Pledge Union , and his pacifist beliefs became a primary theme in many of his works .
• In 1939 , Pears and Britten traveled to North America for a change of scenery , first to Canada and then to the U . S . After several years , Britten became quite homesick and the two returned to the U . K ., settling in the small seaside town of Aldeburgh . Here , Britten and Pears established the Aldeburgh Festival , which continues to this day .
• Britten reached peak fame with his War Requiem , which was universally hailed as a masterpiece . He was granted the title of Baron , the first time such a title was given to a composer .
• Britten died in 1976 . He had such standing in British society that his memorial service congregation was headed by the Queen herself . Today he is considered one of the most important British composers of all time .
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1939
MUSIC Billie Holiday ’ s “ Strange Fruit ”
FILM The Wizard of Oz
FUN FACT
Throughout his life , Britten was very good friends with Shostakovich and the cellist Rostropovich .
ABOUT THE PIECE
• Britten wrote the original work in 1939 , shortly after arriving in Canada . The piece was composed as incidental music for the BBC radio serialization of T . H . White ’ s book The Sword in the Stone . The program aired in six episodes .
• Britten uses parody and symbolism throughout this lively and whimsical work , even quoting Wagner at times .
• The music was later compiled into a 6-movement suite by Oliver Knussen and Colin Matthews .
LITERATURE Zora Neale Hurston ’ s Moses , Man of the Mountain
HISTORY World War II begins
10 BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA