BENJAMIN BRITTEN Russian Funeral for Brass and Percussion
BENJAMIN BRITTEN Russian Funeral for Brass and Percussion
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
1936
MUSIC Billboard magazine publishes the first pop music chart
ART Joan Miró’ s Metamorphosis
FUN FACT
Throughout his life, Britten was very good friends with Shostakovich and the cellist Rostropovich.
ABOUT THE PIECE
• Britten wrote his Russian Funeral for Brass and Percussion in 1936. It is his only work for brass band.
• In his diary, Britten referred to the work as“ War and Death." Although Britten was a staunch pacifist, he also held great regard for those who risked their lives to fight fascists in Europe.
• The piece incorporates a Russian proletarian funeral song with words to honor those who gave their lives for the Revolutionary cause. The same theme was used by Shostakovich in his 11th symphony.
TECHNOLOGY The Hoover Dam is completed
HISTORY Jesse Owens wins four Gold Medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin
BSO SESSIONS | MAY-JUNE 2021
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