Britten

[LeMartinPecheur]

My absolute favourite and, IMV, the greatest recording of the Serenade is the Pears/ Brain one made in about 1952-1953 by Decca, conducted not by Britten but by Eugene Goossens. Dennis had rather recently switched his allegiance from the French to the German horn, and his contribution is very audibly superior to that in the earlier recording with the Boyd Neel orchestra, on which he played a 19th century French piston horn with a rather thin and ‘pinched’ sound. However, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and I know that several colleagues prefer Dennis’s tone on that 1940s recording.
Dennis’s sound on this 1952-53 recording is incomparable IMV, almost unbelievably round and suave except for, of course, his brassily intense tone in the ‘Dirge’. Peter Pears is on absolutely top form and IMV this recorded version represents both artists performing at the absolute ‘pinnacle’ of their art.
NB: avoid the later Decca ‘Eclipse’ LP with ‘artificial stereo’ which is a woolly and boomy travesty of the superb sound on the original ‘AXL’ LP.

I found a somewhat worn s/h copy of the original LP and thought well enough of it to snap up its contents on this Eloquence CD reissue https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britten-Ser...ossens+britten

It also contains the standard Decca SXL Pears/ Britten Nocturne which handily filled a gap in my collection.

[Richard Tarleton]

I was first bowled over by the Serenade when I was at university. It was a student performance, but seemed to me then quite perfect. I went out and bought the Pears/Tuckwell recording on LP. I've still got it several decades later! If I had to pick one Britten work for my desert island - which would be very difficult - I'd go for the Serenade.

My only live performance was in the 1990s in St David's Cathedral, Ian Bostridge with BBC NOW and Michael Thompson (who played from the organ loft, very atmospheric). Bostridge sat near us after the interval, having changed into trademark polo neck and rumpled corduroys . I'd first seen a teenage Michael Thompson in a chamber concert in the Maltings on Easter Sunday 1972, playing, IIRC, Mozart horn quintet. Britten and Pears had performed the Holy Sonnets of John Donne before the interval.

I too love the Serenade - I had to put together a humanist funeral for my great aunt who lived in Suffolk and with whom I'd been to that concert (and others at the Maltings over many years) - I chose the Sonnet and Epilogue as the closing music, after the spoken tributes, just perfect for quiet reflection. (We then had the Andante from Schubert 5 as the "outro" music - the "intro", to set the right mood, had been the Adagio from the string quintet).

[Maclintick]

Thank you so much, Tony, for your detailed post "from the hornplayer's mouth", as it were. I agree with Mary Chambers that if any piece encapsulated Britten's genius, this is it, IMHO along with pretty much anything he composed between "Our Hunting Fathers" & "The Rape of Lucretia". No accident that he's never suffered the posthumous decline in performances which sometimes happens to composers.

One poster disparagingly referred to Britten's compositional style as "overwrought". This is extremely wide-of-the-mark in general consideration of his output, but spectacularly so in respect of the "Serenade" - where there's not a superfluous note anywhere, & where he miraculously solves the dilemma of the hornplayer's exit before the Keats Sonnet with repeated "sul C" cello harmonics ( from bar.15 "close in the midst of this thy willing eyes, or wait the Amen") which mimic the sound of the departed horn, now readying him or herself for that epilogue.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you so much, Tony, for your detailed post "from the hornplayer's mouth", as it were. I agree with Mary Chambers that if any piece encapsulated Britten's genius, this is it, IMHO along with pretty much anything he composed between "Our Hunting Fathers" & "The Rape of Lucretia". No accident that he's never suffered the posthumous decline in performances which sometimes happens to composers.

One poster disparagingly referred to Britten's compositional style as "overwrought". This is extremely wide-of-the-mark in general consideration of his output, but spectacularly so in respect of the "Serenade" - where there's not a superfluous note anywhere, & where he miraculously solves the dilemma of the hornplayer's exit before the Keats Sonnet ( from bar.15 "close in the midst of this thy willing eyes, or wait the Amen") with repeated "sul C" cello harmonics which mimic the sound of the departed horn, now readying him or herself for that epilogue.

I agree about the quantity of notes expended in the work; it's the emotions behind them that I have the issues with.

[Serial_Apologist]

Slightly new perspectives on the composer this week from 4 years ago - Episode 1, then scroll on:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xdxd

[DracoM]

Was simply appalled yesterday:
Ceremony of carols...sorry - but
Q1 for whom was it written?
Q2 Erm..........[B].BOYS' voices?
Q3 No boys have ever recorded it, have they? Erm.......................

SO............why the blue blazes did we get THE SIXTEEN singing it?

[cat]

I agree, it really seems like they rolled the dice on the recordings. I can’t say that the script has been particularly interesting either. You’d think that when spending several hours on one composer they might be able to do a little more homework. I haven’t really listened to CotW much before, are they all like this?

[LMcD]

I agree, it really seems like they rolled the dice on the recordings. I can’t say that the script has been particularly interesting either. You’d think that when spending several hours on one composer they might be able to do a little more homework. I haven’t really listened to CotW much before, are they all like this?

This has been a rather disappointing CotW so far, lacking any apparent theme or structure.

[gurnemanz]

This has been a rather disappointing CotW so far, lacking any apparent theme or structure.

I know what you mean. I nearly always listen to CotW but as it went on I found myself increasingly inclined not to tune in. I appreciate Britten's contribution but am not his most enthusiastic adherent. I'm currently working through the excellent recent Naxos/Collins English Song re-issue box and have just been enjoying Disc 7 with Philip Langridge accompanied by Steuart Bedford in the Michelangelo, John Donne and Winter Words cycles.

[LMcD]

This week's programmes comprise a straightforward chronological procession with relevant excerpts or whole works interspersed from time to time - not what I have come to expect from CotW! I am an 'enthusiastic adherent' (I certainly wouldn't claim to be an expert), but I had hoped for something to add to what I've learned previously from listening to and watching most of Britten's output, backed up by no less (no fewer?) than 3 biographies.

[Simon Biazeck]

Was simply appalled yesterday:
Ceremony of carols...sorry - but
Q1 for whom was it written?
Q2 Erm..........[B].BOYS' voices?
Q3 No boys have ever recorded it, have they? Erm.......................

SO............why the blue blazes did we get THE SIXTEEN singing it?

This work was premiered by the women of the choir of St. Bride's Fleet Street. Interesting. Personally, I don't really mind who sings it, although my own choice for this program would be the choir of St. John's College, Cambridge/George Guest, or Westminster Cathedral Choir/David Hill; both sounds that Britten would have recognized and appreciated.

https://brittenpears.org/explore/benjamin-britten/music/work-of-the-week/52-a-ceremony-of-carols/

SBz.

[cat]

He began composing the Carols for women, but by the time it was published it was clearly marked “for trebles”. The first performance was indeed by a women’s choir, but it was the performance ten years later by the Copenhagen Boys Choir that he was first satisfied with, such that he promptly recorded it with them. A shame they didn’t mention any of this and used a performance by the Sixteen for no discernible reason.

[Simon Biazeck]

He began composing the Carols for women, but by the time it was published it was clearly marked “for trebles”. The first performance was indeed by a women’s choir, but it was the performance ten years later by the Copenhagen Boys Choir that he was first satisfied with, such that he promptly recorded it with them. A shame they didn’t mention any of this really and used a performance by the Sixteen for no discernible reason.

Yes, I know. This is an interesting point about Britten's creative process and thinking; one which should, arguably, have been included in the program. I can't think of a good reason not to mention it.

SBz.

[cat]

Yes, I know. This is an interesting point about Britten's creative process and thinking; one which should, arguably, have been included in the program. I can't think of a good reason not to mention it.

SBz.

Indeed. See also Abraham and Isaac, where a similar thing occurred.

[Simon Biazeck]

Indeed. See also Abraham and Isaac, where a similar thing occurred.

Yes, indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4KVUoQlA18 Sadly, not included on the Decca Eloquence Rartites compilation, although, there is much fine singing from Hahessy on that cd. https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/re...tten-rarities/

SBz.