Britten is the most literary British composer of the twentieth century.
His relationship to the many and varied texts that he set was deeply
committed and sensitive. As a result, both his responses to poetry and
his collaborationswith his librettists tell us a great deal about his
music, and often, about the man himself.
Britten is the most literary British composer of the twentieth century.
His relationship to the many and varied texts that he set was deeply
committed and sensitive. As a result, both his responses to poetry and
his collaborationswith his librettists tell us a great deal about his
music, and often, about the man himself. This book takes a unique
approach to Britten, drawing together well-known Britten experts
alongside English, music, modern language andhistory scholars who bring
their own perspective to bear on Britten's work. Chapters examine all
aspects of Britten's text setting, from his engagement with a wide
variety of poetry to his relationship with his librettists. By
approaching Britten's operas and songs through their literature, this
book offers fresh insights into his vocal works.
KATE KENNEDY is the Weinrebe Research Fellow in Life-writing at Wolfson
College, Oxford, where she is an associate of both Music and English
Faculties. She is a frequent broadcaster for the BBC and specialises in
interdisciplinary biography and has published widely on twentieth
century music and literature.
Contributors: JOANNA BULLIVANT, PHILIP ROSS BULLOCK, NICHOLAS CLARK,
MERVYN COOKE, DAVID FULLER, JOHN FULLER, PETER HAPPÉ, J. P. E.
HARPER-SCOTT, JOHN HOPKINS, KATE KENNEDY, ADRIAN POOLE, HANNA ROCHLITZ,
PHILIP RUPPRECHT, REBEKAH SCOTT, VICKISTROEHER, JUSTIN VICKERS, LUCY
WALKER, BRIAN YOUNG
