List of compositions by Benjamin Britten
Encyclopedia
This list of compositions by Benjamin Britten includes all the published works by English
composer
Benjamin Britten
with opus number.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
with opus number.
Operas
- 1941: Paul BunyanPaul Bunyan (operetta)Paul Bunyan is an operetta in two acts and a prologue composed by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by W. H. Auden. It premiered at Columbia University on May 5, 1941 to largely negative reviews, and Britten revised it in 1976...
, based on the American folktale - 1945: Peter GrimesPeter GrimesPeter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
, based on George CrabbeGeorge CrabbeGeorge Crabbe was an English poet and naturalist.-Biography:He was born in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the son of a tax collector, and developed his love of poetry as a child. In 1768, he was apprenticed to a local doctor, who taught him little, and in 1771 he changed masters and moved to Woodbridge...
's The Borough - 1946: The Rape of Lucretia, after the play Le Viol de Lucrèce by André ObeyAndré ObeyAndré Obey was a prominent French playwright during the inter-war years, and into the 1950s....
- 1947: Albert HerringAlbert HerringAlbert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten.Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia...
, after Guy de MaupassantGuy de MaupassantHenri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
's story Le rosier de Mme. Husson - 1948: adaptation of The Beggar's OperaThe Beggar's OperaThe Beggar's Opera is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satirical ballad opera to remain popular today...
- 1949: Let's Make an Opera (The Little Sweep)The Little SweepThe Little Sweep is an opera for children in three scenes by the English composer Benjamin Britten, with a libretto by Eric Crozier.- Let's Make an Opera! :...
, an opera for children - 1951: Billy BuddBilly Budd (opera)Billy Budd is an opera by Benjamin Britten, from a libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 1 December 1951. It is based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville....
, after Herman MelvilleHerman MelvilleHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
's novella - 1953: GlorianaGlorianaGloriana is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey...
, after Lytton StracheyLytton StracheyGiles Lytton Strachey was a British writer and critic. He is best known for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit...
's Elizabeth and Essex, written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,... - 1954: The Turn of the ScrewThe Turn of the Screw (opera)The Turn of the Screw is a 20th century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, "wife of the artist John Piper, who had been a friend of the composer since 1935 and had provided designs for several of the operas". The libretto is based on the novella...
, based on the novella by Henry JamesHenry JamesHenry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.... - 1958: Noye's FluddeNoye's FluddeNoye's Fludde is an early 15th century mystery play from the Chester Mystery Cycle. It was set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1957 based on an edition by Alfred W. Pollard...
, for community performance, based on a mystery playMystery playMystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song... - 1960: A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream (opera)A Midsummer Night's Dream is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream...
, after ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... - 1971: Owen WingraveOwen WingraveOwen Wingrave is an opera for television in two acts with music by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 85, and a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a short story by Henry James....
an opera for television, after the short story by Henry JamesHenry JamesHenry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.... - 1973: Death in VeniceDeath in Venice (opera)Death in Venice is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, his last. The opera is based on the novella Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Myfanwy Piper wrote the English libretto. It was first performed at Snape Maltings near Aldeburgh, England on 16 June 1973.The astringent score is marked by some...
, based on Thomas MannThomas MannThomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
's novella - 1976: An unrealized Christmas opera, intended forces unknown
Church parables
- Curlew RiverCurlew RiverCurlew River — A Parable for Church Performance is the first of three Church Parables by Benjamin Britten. The work is based on the Japanese noh play Sumidagawa of Juro Motomasa , which Britten saw during a visit to Japan and the Far East in early 1956...
(1964), based on a JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese NohNoh, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
play - The Burning Fiery FurnaceThe Burning Fiery FurnaceThe Burning Fiery Furnace is one of the three Parables for Church Performances composed by Benjamin Britten, dating from 1966, and is his Opus 77. The other two 'church parables' are Curlew River and The Prodigal Son . William Plomer was the librettist.The work was premiered at Orford Church,...
(1966), after the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3 - The Prodigal SonThe Prodigal Son (Britten)The Prodigal Son is an opera by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by William Plomer. Based on the Biblical story of the Prodigal Son, this was Britten's third "parable for church performance", after Curlew River and The Burning Fiery Furnace. Britten dedicated the score to Dmitri Shostakovich.The...
(1968), after the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15
Ballets
- Plymouth Town (Ballet for small orchestra) (1931)
- The Prince of the PagodasThe Prince of the PagodasThe Prince of the Pagodas is a ballet created for The Royal Ballet in 1957, by choreographer John Cranko, with music commissioned from Benjamin Britten. The ballet was later revived in a new production by Kenneth MacMillan in 1989, achieving widespread acclaim for Darcey Bussell's premiere in a...
(1956)
Orchestral
- Sinfonietta, for chamber orchestra (1932)
- Simple SymphonySimple SymphonyThe Simple Symphony, Op.4 is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten.It was written as a piece for string orchestra and received its first performance in 1934 in Norwich, with Britten conducting an amateur orchestra....
, for string orchestra (1934) - Soirées Musicales, after Rossini (1936)
- Variations on a Theme of Frank BridgeVariations on a Theme of Frank BridgeVariations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, is a work for string orchestra by Benjamin Britten. It was written in 1937 at the request of Boyd Neel, who conducted his orchestra at the premiere of the work at that year's Salzburg Festival. It was the work that brought Britten to international...
, for string orchestra (1937) - Mont Juic, a suite of Catalan Dances, jointly composedClassical music written in collaborationIn classical music, it is relatively rare for a work to be written in collaboration by multiple composers. This contrasts with popular music, where it is common for more than one person to contribute to the music for a song...
with Lennox BerkeleyLennox BerkeleySir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
(1937) - Canadian Carnival (1939)
- Sinfonia da RequiemSinfonia da RequiemSinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20, for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese Government to mark the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire...
(1940) - Matinées musicales, after Rossini (1941)
- An American Overture (1941)
- Prelude and Fugue for 18 Strings (1943)
- Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter GrimesPeter GrimesPeter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
, for orchestra (1945) - The Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraThe Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraThe Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34, is a musical composition by Benjamin Britten in 1946 with a subtitle "Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell"...
(1946) - Occasional Overture (1946)
- Men of Goodwill - Variations on a Christmas carol (1947)
- Variations on an Elizabethan ThemeVariations on an Elizabethan ThemeVariations on an Elizabethan Theme is a set of variations for string orchestra, written collaboratively in 1952 by six English composers: Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten, Arthur Oldham, Humphrey Searle, Michael Tippett and William Walton...
, jointly composed with Lennox Berkeley, Arthur OldhamArthur OldhamArthur William Oldham was an English composer and choirmaster. He founded the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in 1965, the Chorus of the Orchestre de Paris in 1975, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus in Amsterdam in 1979. He also worked with the Scottish Opera Chorus 1966-74 and directed the...
, Humphrey SearleHumphrey SearleHumphrey Searle was a British composer.-Biography:He was born in Oxford where he was a classics scholar before studying — somewhat hesitantly — with John Ireland at the Royal College of Music in London, after which he went to Vienna on a six month scholarship to become a private pupil of Anton...
, Michael TippettMichael TippettSir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
and William WaltonWilliam WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
(1953) - Symphonic Suite from GlorianaGlorianaGloriana is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey...
(1954) - Suite on English Folk Tunes, A Time There Was..., for chamber orchestra (1966/1974)
Concertante
- Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (1932, incpt, realised by Colin Matthews)
- Piano ConcertoPiano Concerto (Britten)The Piano Concerto, Op. 13, by Benjamin Britten is a piece of classical music composed for piano and orchestra. It was written in 1938 and revised by Britten in 1945. In the 1945 revision it was given a different 3rd movement. The full version received its premiere at the Cheltenham Festival on...
(1938, rev. 1945) - Violin ConcertoViolin Concerto (Britten)Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, Op. 15 was given its premiere in New York, on March 29, 1940, by the Spanish violinist Antonio Brosa with the New York Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli...
(1939, rev. 1958) - Young ApolloYoung ApolloYoung Apollo, Op. 16, is a music composition for piano and strings that was composed by Benjamin Britten. Commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Britten completed the work in 1939; just after his arrival in the United States. The work premiered on 27 August 1939 on CBC Radio's...
, for piano, string quartet and string orchestra (1939) - Diversions for Piano (left hand) and OrchestraDiversions for piano (left hand) and orchestraDiversions for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 21, is a concertante music composition by Benjamin Britten. Britten wrote the work for the Viennese-born pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I. Britten met Wittgenstein in New York in July 1940 and sketched the piece in August at...
(1940 rev. 1954) - Scottish Ballad, for two pianos and orchestra (1941)
- Clarinet Concerto (incomplete: 1st movement only, 1942/3, orch. by Colin MatthewsColin MatthewsColin Matthews OBE is an English composer of classical music.-Early life and education:Matthews was born in London in 1946; his older brother is the composer David Matthews. He read classics at the University of Nottingham, and then studied composition there with Arnold Whittall, and with Nicholas...
) - Cello Symphony (1963)
Vocal/Choral Orchestral
- Quatre Chansons Françaises, for soprano and orchestra (1928)
- Our Hunting Fathers, for soprano or tenor and orchestra (words W. H. AudenW. H. AudenWystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
) (1936) - The Company of Heaven, for speakers, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1937, not performed again until 1989)
- Les Illuminations, for soprano or tenor and strings (words Arthur RimbaudArthur RimbaudJean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
) (1939) - Serenade for Tenor, Horn and StringsSerenade for Tenor, Horn and StringsThe Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings is a song cycle written in 1943 by the English composer Benjamin Britten, scored for tenor accompanied by a solo horn and a small string orchestra...
(1943) - Saint Nicolas, for tenor soloist, children's chorus, chorus, and orchestra (1948)
- Spring SymphonySpring SymphonyThe Spring Symphony is Benjamin Britten's Opus 44. It is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on Thursday 14 July 1949 as part of the Holland Festival, when the composer was 35...
, for soprano, contralto, and tenor soloists, mixed chorus, boys' choir and orchestra (1949) - Nocturne, for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments & strings (1958)
- War RequiemWar RequiemThe War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems...
(1961) for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chamber ensemble, boys' chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra - Cantata misericordium for tenor and baritone soloists, small chorus, string quartet, string orchestra, piano, harp, timpani (1963)
- PhaedraPhaedra (cantata)Phaedra Op. 93 is a cantata for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Benjamin Britten. It was the composer's last vocal work, written in 1975 and first performed by Janet Baker at the Aldeburgh Festival on 16 June 1976. Britten assembled the libretto from parts of a translation of Racine's Phèdre by...
for mezzo-soprano, cello, harpsichord, percussion, and string orchestra (Robert LowellRobert LowellRobert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
after Jean RacineJean RacineJean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
s Phèdre, 1975) - Praise we great men, for soloists, chorus and orchestra (Edith SitwellEdith SitwellDame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
) (1976, completed by Colin Matthews 1985) - Sea Symphony, for soloists, chorus and orchestra (unrealized, 1976)
Vocal
- On this Island for high voice and piano (1937)
- Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo for tenor and piano (1940)
- The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for tenor and piano (1945)
- Canticle I: My beloved is mine for tenor and piano (1947) (Five CanticlesFive CanticlesFive Canticles is a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation differs on each piece, and several are based on non-sacred texts...
) - A Charm of Lullabies for mezzo-soprano and piano (1947)
- Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac for alto (or countertenor), tenor, and piano (1952) (Five CanticlesFive CanticlesFive Canticles is a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation differs on each piece, and several are based on non-sacred texts...
) - Canticle III: Still falls the rainCanticle III: Still falls the rainCanticle III: Still falls the rain is a piece by English composer Benjamin Britten. It is part of Britten's series of Five Canticles.-Composition and premiere:...
for tenor, horn and piano (words Edith SitwellEdith SitwellDame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
) (1954) (Five CanticlesFive CanticlesFive Canticles is a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation differs on each piece, and several are based on non-sacred texts...
) - Winter WordsWinter Words (song cycle)Winter Words, Op. 52, is a song cycle for tenor and piano by Benjamin Britten.Written in 1954, it sets eight poems by Thomas Hardy about the fleetingness of experience, which contrast brief instances against the unfeeling vastness of time...
for tenor and piano, poetry by Thomas HardyThomas HardyThomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
(1954) - The Heart of the Matter for narrator, tenor, horn, and piano (1956)
- Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente for tenor and piano (1958)
- Songs and Proverbs of William Blake for baritone and piano (1965)
- The Poet's Echo for soprano and piano (1965)
- Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi for countertenor, tenor, baritone, and piano (1971) (Five CanticlesFive CanticlesFive Canticles is a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation differs on each piece, and several are based on non-sacred texts...
) - Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus for tenor and harp (1974) (Five CanticlesFive CanticlesFive Canticles is a series of five musical works by composer Benjamin Britten. The pieces were written at various points in his career, with three of them written as memorials. Instrumentation differs on each piece, and several are based on non-sacred texts...
) - A Birthday Hansel for high voice and harp (1975)
- Eight books of Folksong Arrangements from the British Isles and France, for voice and piano, guitar and harp
- Many realizations of songs by Henry PurcellHenry PurcellHenry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
Choral
- Hymn to the Virgin for chorus and soli (1930?)
- A Boy Was Born for treble voices and choir (1933/55)
- Jubilate Deo in E flat for chorus and organ (1934); published posthumously
- Te Deum in C for chorus, trumpet, and organ (1934)
- Friday Afternoons for children's voices and piano (1935)
- Advance Democracy for unaccompanied choir (1938)
- A.M.D.G. (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam), seven settings of Gerard Manley Hopkins for unaccompanied SATB (1939)
- A Ceremony of CarolsA Ceremony of CarolsA Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28, is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten, scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. Written for Christmas, it consists of eleven movements, with text from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, by Gerald Bullett; it is in Middle English...
for treble voices and harp (1942); an alternative arrangement for mixed voices and harp (or piano) is popular as well - Hymn to St. CeciliaHymn to St. CeciliaHymn to St Cecilia, Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten , a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942. Auden's original title was "Three Songs for St. Cecilia's Day", and he later published the poem as "Anthem for St...
for unaccompanied choir; poem by W. H. AudenW. H. AudenWystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
(1942) - Rejoice in the LambRejoice in the LambRejoice in the Lamb is a festival cantata for four soloists, SATB choir, and organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1943 and based on the poem Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart . The poem, written while Smart was in an insane asylum, is a highly idiosyncratic and ecstatic praise and worship of God...
for 4 soloists, choir, and organ; text by Christopher SmartChristopher SmartChristopher Smart , also known as "Kit Smart", "Kitty Smart", and "Jack Smart", was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fielding. Smart, a high church Anglican, was widely known throughout...
(1943) - Festival Te Deum in E for chorus and organ (1944)
- A Wedding anthem 'Amo Ergo Sum\ for soprano, tenor chorus and organ (1949)
- Five Flower Songs for SATB (1950)
- Hymn to St. Peter for treble soloist, SATB and organ (1955)
- Antiphon for SATB and organ, (1955)
- Missa BrevisMissa Brevis (Britten)The Missa Brevis in D, Op. 63 is a setting of the Mass composed by Benjamin Britten on Trinity Sunday, 1959. It was first performed at London's Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral on 22 July of the same year. The piece is set for three-part treble chorus and organ.The printed dedication reads "For...
for boys' voices and organ (1959) - Jubilate Deo in C for chorus and organ (1961)
- A Hymn of St Columba for chorus and organ (1962)
- The Golden Vanity for 5 boy soloists, treble choir and piano (1966)
- The Building of the House for chorus or organ or brass and orchestra (1967)
- Sacred and Profane (8 medieval lyrics)Sacred and Profane (8 medieval lyrics)Sacred and Profane, Op. 91, is a collection of 'Eight Medieval Lyrics' for unaccompanied voices in five parts composed by Benjamin Britten in 1974-5...
for SSATB (1974-5)
Solo piano
- Five Waltzes, for piano (1925, rev. 1969)
- Three Character Pieces, for piano(1930)
- Twelve variations on a theme, for piano(1930)
- Holiday Diary, for piano (1934)
- Sonatina romantica, for piano (1940)
- Night-Piece(Notturno) for piano, written for Leeds International Pianoforte Competition (1963)
Two pianos
- Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca, for 2 pianos (1940)
- Mazurka elegiaca, for 2 pianos (1941)
String quartet
- String Quartet in F major (1928)
- String Quartet in D major (1931, rev. 1974)
- Three Divertimenti, for string quartet (1933, rev. 1936): March, Waltz, Burlesque
- String Quartet No. 1 in D major (1941)
- String Quartet No. 2 in C major (1945)
- String Quartet No. 3 in G major (1975)
Viola and piano
- Lachrymae, Reflections on a song of Dowland for viola and piano (1950) after If My Complaints Could Passions Move by John DowlandJohn DowlandJohn Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep" , "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my Lady weepe" and "In darkness let me dwell", but his instrumental music has undergone a major revival, and has...
, for William PrimroseWilliam PrimroseWilliam Primrose CBE was a Scottish violist and teacher.-Biography:Primrose was born in Glasgow and studied violin initially. In 1919 he moved to study at the then Guildhall School of Music in London. On the urging of the accompanist Ivor Newton, Primrose moved to Belgium to study under Eugène...
- arranged for viola and string orchestra (1976) for Cecil AronowitzCecil AronowitzCecil Aronowitz was a British viola player, a founding member of the Melos Ensemble, a leading chamber musician and an influential teacher at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.-Biography:...
- arranged for viola and string orchestra (1976) for Cecil Aronowitz
Solo cello
- Cello Suite No. 1Cello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
(1964) - Cello Suite No. 2Cello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
(1967) - Cello Suite No. 3Cello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
(1972) - Tema "Sacher" for cello solo (1976)
Oboe and piano
- Two Insect Pieces, for oboe and piano (1935)
- Temporal Variations, for oboe and piano (1936)
Solo oboe
- Six Metamorphoses after OvidSix Metamorphoses after OvidEnglish composer Benjamin Britten composed the program music Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo Oboe in 1951. Intended to evoke images of the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, the piece is dedicated to oboist Joy Boughton who gave the first performance at the Aldeburgh Festival on 14 June 1951...
for solo oboe (1951), with quotations from Ovid'sOvidPublius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
MetamorphosesMetamorphoses (poem)Metamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem in fifteen books by the Roman poet Ovid describing the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar within a loose mythico-historical framework. Completed in AD 8, it is recognized as a masterpiece of Golden Age Latin literature...
poem.
Flute, violin and piano 4-hands
- Gemini Variations, for flute, violin and piano four hands (1965)
Three trumpets
- Fanfare for St EdmundsburyFanfare for St EdmundsburyThe Fanfare for St Edmundsbury is a piece of music written by the British composer Benjamin Britten for a "Pageant of Magna Carta" in the grounds of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds in 1959.-Technical:The fanfare is scored for three trumpets...
(1959) short antiphonal and polytonal piece for three trumpets
By opus number
- Op. 1, Sinfonietta, 1932
- Op. 2, Phantasy, oboe quartet, 1932
- Op. 3, A Boy was Born for mixed chorus with organ ad lib, 1933, revised 1955
- Op. 4, Simple SymphonySimple SymphonyThe Simple Symphony, Op.4 is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten.It was written as a piece for string orchestra and received its first performance in 1934 in Norwich, with Britten conducting an amateur orchestra....
for strings, 1934 (+ also version for string quartet) - Op. 5, Holiday Diary for piano, 1934
- Op. 6, Suite for violin and piano, 1935
- Op. 7, Friday Afternoons for children's voices and piano, 1935
- Op. 8, Our Hunting Fathers for soprano or tenor and orchestra (words W. H. AudenW. H. AudenWystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
), 1936 - Op. 9, Soirées musicales for orchestra (after Rossini), 1936
- Op. 10, Variations on a Theme of Frank BridgeVariations on a Theme of Frank BridgeVariations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, is a work for string orchestra by Benjamin Britten. It was written in 1937 at the request of Boyd Neel, who conducted his orchestra at the premiere of the work at that year's Salzburg Festival. It was the work that brought Britten to international...
for string orchestra, 1937 - Op. 11, On this Island for soprano or tenor and piano (words W. H. Auden), 1937
- Op. 12, Mont Juic (after Catalan dances, with Lennox BerkeleyLennox BerkeleySir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley was an English composer.- Biography :He was born in Oxford, England, and educated at the Dragon School, Gresham's School and Merton College, Oxford...
), 1937 - Op. 13, Piano Concerto, 1938, revised 1945
- Op. 14, Ballad of Heroes for tenor or soprano, chorus and orchestra (words W. H. Auden and Randall SwinglerRandall SwinglerRandall Swingler MM was an English poet, writing extensively in the 1930s in the communist interest.His was a prosperous middle class Anglican family near Nottingham, with an industrial background in the Midlands. He was educated at Winchester College, and New College, Oxford...
), 1939 - Op. 15, Violin Concerto, 1939, revised 1958
- Op. 16, Young ApolloYoung ApolloYoung Apollo, Op. 16, is a music composition for piano and strings that was composed by Benjamin Britten. Commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Britten completed the work in 1939; just after his arrival in the United States. The work premiered on 27 August 1939 on CBC Radio's...
for piano and strings, 1939 (withdrawn) - Op. 17, Paul BunyanPaul Bunyan (operetta)Paul Bunyan is an operetta in two acts and a prologue composed by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by W. H. Auden. It premiered at Columbia University on May 5, 1941 to largely negative reviews, and Britten revised it in 1976...
, opera (libretto W. H. Auden), 1941, revised 1976 - Op. 18, Les Illuminations, for soprano or tenor and strings (words Arthur RimbaudArthur RimbaudJean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
), 1939 - Op. 19, Canadian Carnival overture, 1939
- Op. 20, Sinfonia da RequiemSinfonia da RequiemSinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20, for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese Government to mark the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire...
, 1940 - Op. 21, Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra, 1940, revised 1954
- Op. 22, Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo for tenor and piano, 1940
- Op. 23
- No. 1, Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca for two pianos, 1940
- No. 2, Mazurka elegaica for two pianos, 1941
- Op. 24, Matinées musicales for orchestra (after Rossini), 1941
- Op. 25, String Quartet No. 1, 1941
- Op. 26, Scottish Ballad for two pianos and orchestra, 1941
- Op. 27, An American Overture, 1941 [first performance 1983]
- Op. 27, Hymn to St. CeciliaHymn to St. CeciliaHymn to St Cecilia, Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten , a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942. Auden's original title was "Three Songs for St. Cecilia's Day", and he later published the poem as "Anthem for St...
for SSATB, 1942 - Op. 28, A Ceremony of CarolsA Ceremony of CarolsA Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28, is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten, scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. Written for Christmas, it consists of eleven movements, with text from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, by Gerald Bullett; it is in Middle English...
for trebles and harp, 1942 - Op. 29, Prelude and Fugue for 18 strings, 1943
- Op. 30, Rejoice in the LambRejoice in the LambRejoice in the Lamb is a festival cantata for four soloists, SATB choir, and organ composed by Benjamin Britten in 1943 and based on the poem Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart . The poem, written while Smart was in an insane asylum, is a highly idiosyncratic and ecstatic praise and worship of God...
for soloists, chorus and organ, 1943 - Op. 31, SerenadeSerenade for Tenor, Horn and StringsThe Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings is a song cycle written in 1943 by the English composer Benjamin Britten, scored for tenor accompanied by a solo horn and a small string orchestra...
for tenor, horn and strings, song cycle, 1943 - Op. 32, Festival Te Deum for chorus and organ, 1945
- Op. 33, Peter GrimesPeter GrimesPeter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
, opera (libretto Montagu Slater after George Crabbe), 1945- Op. 33a, Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
- Op. 33b, Passacaglia from Peter Grimes
- Op. 34, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell (The Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraThe Young Person's Guide to the OrchestraThe Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34, is a musical composition by Benjamin Britten in 1946 with a subtitle "Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell"...
), 1946 - Op. 35, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for soprano or tenor and piano, 1945
- Op. 36, String Quartet No. 2, 1945
- Op. 37, The Rape of LucretiaThe Rape of Lucretia (opera)The Rape of Lucretia is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, written for Kathleen Ferrier, who performed the title role. Ronald Duncan based his English libretto on André Obey's play Le Viol de Lucrèce.-Performance history:...
, opera (libretto Ronald Duncan after André Obey), 1946 revised 1947 - Op. 38, Occasional Overture, 1946
- Op. 39, Albert HerringAlbert HerringAlbert Herring, Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten.Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera The Rape of Lucretia...
, opera (libretto Eric Crozier after Guy de MaupassantGuy de MaupassantHenri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
), 1947 - Op. 40, My beloved is mine (Canticle I) for soprano or tenor and piano (words Francis QuarlesFrancis QuarlesFrancis Quarles was an English poet most famous for his Emblem book aptly entitled Emblems.-Career:Francis was born in Romford, Essex, , and baptised there on 8 May 1592. He traced his ancestry to a family settled in England before the Norman Conquest with a long history in royal service...
), 1947 - Op. 41, A Charm of Lullabies for mezzo soprano and piano, 1947
- Op. 42, Saint Nicolas for soloists, chorus, strings, piano (4 hands), percussion and organ, 1948
- Op. 43, The Beggar's OperaThe Beggar's OperaThe Beggar's Opera is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satirical ballad opera to remain popular today...
after John GayJohn GayJohn Gay was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club. He is best remembered for The Beggar's Opera , set to music by Johann Christoph Pepusch...
, 1948 - Op. 44, Spring SymphonySpring SymphonyThe Spring Symphony is Benjamin Britten's Opus 44. It is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on Thursday 14 July 1949 as part of the Holland Festival, when the composer was 35...
for soloists, mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, 1949 - Op. 45, The Little Sweep, opera (libretto Eric Crozier), 1949
- Op. 46, A Wedding anthem Amo Ergo Sum for soprano, tenor chorus and organ (words Ronald DuncanRonald DuncanRonald Duncan was a writer, poet and playwright, now best known for preparing the libretto for Benjamin Britten's opera The Rape of Lucretia, first performed in 1946....
), 1949 - Op. 47, Five Flower Songs for SATB, 1950
- Op. 48, Lachrymae for viola and piano, 1950
- Op. 48a, Lachrymae for viola and strings, 1976
- Op. 49, Six Metamorphoses after OvidSix Metamorphoses after OvidEnglish composer Benjamin Britten composed the program music Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo Oboe in 1951. Intended to evoke images of the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, the piece is dedicated to oboist Joy Boughton who gave the first performance at the Aldeburgh Festival on 14 June 1951...
for oboe, 1951 - Op. 50, Billy BuddBilly Budd (opera)Billy Budd is an opera by Benjamin Britten, from a libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 1 December 1951. It is based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman Melville....
, opera (libretto E. M. ForsterE. M. ForsterEdward Morgan Forster OM, CH was an English novelist, short story writer, essayist and librettist. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society...
and Eric Crozier after Hermann Melville), 1951, revised 1960 - Op. 51, Abraham and Isaac (Canticle II) for alto, tenor and piano (Chester miracle play), 1952
- Op. 52, Winter WordsWinter Words (song cycle)Winter Words, Op. 52, is a song cycle for tenor and piano by Benjamin Britten.Written in 1954, it sets eight poems by Thomas Hardy about the fleetingness of experience, which contrast brief instances against the unfeeling vastness of time...
for soprano or tenor and piano (words Thomas HardyThomas HardyThomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
), 1953 - Op. 53, GlorianaGlorianaGloriana is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey...
, opera (libretto William Plomer after Lytton StracheyLytton StracheyGiles Lytton Strachey was a British writer and critic. He is best known for establishing a new form of biography in which psychological insight and sympathy are combined with irreverence and wit...
), 1953- Op. 53a, Symphonic Suite "Gloriana" for tenor or oboe and orchestra, 1954
- Op. 54, The Turn of the ScrewThe Turn of the Screw (opera)The Turn of the Screw is a 20th century English chamber opera composed by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, "wife of the artist John Piper, who had been a friend of the composer since 1935 and had provided designs for several of the operas". The libretto is based on the novella...
, opera (libretto Myfanwy Piper after Henry JamesHenry JamesHenry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
), 1954 - Op. 55, Still Falls the Rain (Canticle III) for tenor, horn and piano (words Edith SitwellEdith SitwellDame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
), 1954 - Op. 56a, Hymn to St. Peter for treble, SATB and organ, 1955
- Op. 56b, Antiphon for SATB and organ, 1955
- Op. 57, The Prince of the Pagodas, ballet, 1956
- Op. 57a, Pas de six from The Prince of the Pagodas
- Op. 58, Songs from the Chinese for soprano or tenor and guitar, 1957
- Op. 59, Noye's FluddeNoye's FluddeNoye's Fludde is an early 15th century mystery play from the Chester Mystery Cycle. It was set to music by Benjamin Britten in 1957 based on an edition by Alfred W. Pollard...
, opera (Chester mystery play), 1957 - Op. 60, Nocturne for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and string orchestra, song cycle, 1958
- Op. 61, Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, 1958
- Op. 62, Cantata academicaCantata academicaCantata academica is a choral work composed in 1959 by English composer Benjamin Britten. The piece, completed in March 1959, was written for the 500th anniversary of Basle University on 1 July the following year. The Latin text, which was compiled by Bernhard Wyss, is based on the charter of...
, 1959 - Op. 63, Missa brevis for boys' voices and organ, 1959
- Op. 64, A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream (opera)A Midsummer Night's Dream is an opera with music by Benjamin Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the composer and Peter Pears from William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream...
, opera (libretto Benjamin Britten and Peter PearsPeter PearsSir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
after William Shakespeare), 1960 - Op. 65, Sonata for cello and piano, 1961
- Op. 66, War RequiemWar RequiemThe War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems...
, 1961 - Op. 67, Psalm CL for children's chorus and instruments, 1962
- Op. 68, Cello SymphonyCello SymphonyThe Symphony for Cello and Orchestra or Cello Symphony Op. 68 was written in 1963 by the British composer Benjamin Britten. He dedicated the work to Mstislav Rostropovich, who gave the work its premiere in Moscow with the composer and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra on March 12, 1964...
, 1963 - Op. 69, Cantata misericordium, 1963
- Op. 70, Nocturnal after John Dowland for guitar, 1963
- Op. 71, Curlew RiverCurlew RiverCurlew River — A Parable for Church Performance is the first of three Church Parables by Benjamin Britten. The work is based on the Japanese noh play Sumidagawa of Juro Motomasa , which Britten saw during a visit to Japan and the Far East in early 1956...
, church parable (libretto William Plomer after NohNoh, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
), 1964 - Op. 72, Cello SuiteCello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
No. 1, 1964 - Op. 73, Gemini Variations for flute, violin and piano four hands, 1965
- Op. 74, Songs and Proverbs of William Blake for baritone and piano, 1965
- Op. 75, Voices for Today for boys' voices, chorus and organ ad lib, 1965
- Op. 76, The Poet's Echo for soprano or tenor and piano (words Aleksandr PushkinAleksandr PushkinAlexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was a Russian author of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature....
), 1965 - Op. 77, The Burning Fiery FurnaceThe Burning Fiery FurnaceThe Burning Fiery Furnace is one of the three Parables for Church Performances composed by Benjamin Britten, dating from 1966, and is his Opus 77. The other two 'church parables' are Curlew River and The Prodigal Son . William Plomer was the librettist.The work was premiered at Orford Church,...
, church parable (libretto William Plomer after The Book of Daniel), 1966 - Op. 78, The Golden Vanity for boys' voices and piano (words Colin GrahamColin GrahamColin Graham, OBE was a British-born stage director of opera, theater, and television.Graham was educated at Northaw School , Stowe School and RADA...
), 1966 - Op. 79, The Building of the House overture, for chorus or organ or brass and orchestra, 1967
- Op. 80, Cello SuiteCello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
No. 2, 1967 - Op. 81, The Prodigal SonThe Prodigal Son (Britten)The Prodigal Son is an opera by Benjamin Britten with a libretto by William Plomer. Based on the Biblical story of the Prodigal Son, this was Britten's third "parable for church performance", after Curlew River and The Burning Fiery Furnace. Britten dedicated the score to Dmitri Shostakovich.The...
, church parable (libretto William Plomer), 1968 - Op. 82, Children's Crusade (words Bertold Brecht/Hans Keller), 1968
- Op. 83, Suite for Harp, 1969
- Op. 84, Who are these Children? for tenor and piano (words William SoutarWilliam SoutarWilliam Soutar was a Scottish poet, born 1898. He served in the navy in World War I, and afterwards studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he encountered the work of Hugh MacDiarmid. This led to a radical alteration in his work, and he became a leading poet of the Scottish Literary...
), 1969 - Op. 85, Owen WingraveOwen WingraveOwen Wingrave is an opera for television in two acts with music by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 85, and a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a short story by Henry James....
, opera (libretto Myfanwy Piper based on Henry James), 1970 - Op. 86, The Journey of the Magi (Canticle IV) for countertenor, tenor, baritone and piano (words T. S. Eliot), 1971
- Op. 87, Cello SuiteCello Suites (Britten)The Cello Suites by Benjamin Britten are a series of three compositions for solo cello, dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich. The suites were the first original solo instrumental music that Britten wrote for and dedicated to Rostropovich, but Britten had earlier composed a cadenza for Joseph...
No. 3, 1972 - Op. 88, Death in VeniceDeath in Venice (opera)Death in Venice is an opera in two acts by Benjamin Britten, his last. The opera is based on the novella Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Myfanwy Piper wrote the English libretto. It was first performed at Snape Maltings near Aldeburgh, England on 16 June 1973.The astringent score is marked by some...
, opera (libretto Myfanwy Piper based on Thomas MannThomas MannThomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
), 1973 - Op. 89, The Death of Narcissus (Canticle V) for tenor and harp (words T. S. EliotT. S. EliotThomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
), 1974 - Op. 90, A Suite on English Folk Tunes "A Time There Was" for chamber orchestra, 1974
- Op. 91, Sacred and Profane (8 medieval lyrics)Sacred and Profane (8 medieval lyrics)Sacred and Profane, Op. 91, is a collection of 'Eight Medieval Lyrics' for unaccompanied voices in five parts composed by Benjamin Britten in 1974-5...
for five voices (SSATB), 1975 - Op. 92, A Birthday Hansel for high voice and harp (words Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
), 1975 - Op. 93, PhaedraPhaedra (cantata)Phaedra Op. 93 is a cantata for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Benjamin Britten. It was the composer's last vocal work, written in 1975 and first performed by Janet Baker at the Aldeburgh Festival on 16 June 1976. Britten assembled the libretto from parts of a translation of Racine's Phèdre by...
, cantata (words Robert Lowell after Jean RacineJean RacineJean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
), 1975 - Op. 94, String Quartet No. 3, 1975
- Op. 95, Welcome Ode for young people's voices and orchestra, 1976
- Op. 96, Praise we great men for soloists, chorus and orchestra (words Edith SitwellEdith SitwellDame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE was a British poet and critic.-Background:Edith Sitwell was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the oldest child and only daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall; he was an expert on genealogy and landscaping...
), 1976 (Unfinished)