23.1.2012 - Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) [REPEAT]

[VodkaDilc]

I read that the Paul Kildea biography will be published 'in time for the centenary', but haven't been able to find out how 'major' it is. I'm hoping for something that will largely replace the Carpenter one, but have no idea whether that will happen.

I wonder about your use of 'replaced'! Does a new biography ever replace an old one? I have Michael Kennedy's Britten book on my shelves; I don't think Carpenter replaced that. Similarly both Kennedy and Diana McVeigh wrote new books on Elgar in recent years, but neither replaced their classic works. (In fact both were deliberately shorter I believe.)
I suppose we mean 'replace as the standard work of reference' - but the diversity of opinions of any subject surely gives us a truly balanced picture.

[VodkaDilc]

Yes, I thought that! Perhaps it just means that it won't have a lot of technical terms and musical analysis. It does sound quite promising for the most part, and there are quite a few minor Britten biographies already, so I'm hoping for something substantial.

I suppose biography implies the life without technical treatment of the music. Not many people can do both: Jerrold Northrop Moore's Elgar: A Creative Life is one which springs to mind.

[Mary Chambers]

I suppose we mean 'replace as the standard work of reference' - but the diversity of opinions of any subject surely gives us a truly balanced picture.

Yes, that is what I meant, but I think your second point is probably fair. I have biographies of Britten by Kennedy, Michael Oliver and David Matthews as well as Carpenter, not to mention all volumes so far published of Letters from a Life, which in some ways form the best biography of all.

[Mary Chambers]

I'm a bit bemused to hear on CotW that the poems Britten set in Les Illuminations are by Baudelaire. They're by Rimbaud.

[french frank]

I'm a bit bemused to hear on CotW that the poems Britten set in Les Illuminations are by Baudelaire. They're by Rimbaud.

Oops! C'est la vie! Barely even contemporaries ...

[Mary Chambers]

A reminder for those interested that John Bridcut's rather good film Britten's Children is on BBC4 tonight at 7.30.

[Serial_Apologist]

A reminder for those interested that John Bridcut's rather good film Britten's Children is on BBC4 tonight at 7.30.

[Mary Chambers]

According to the BBC website this film is 'not available' on iPlayer. Other evening programmes today are said to be 'coming soon' on iPlayer, so perhaps there's a copyright problem or something with this one.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Has anyone come across Benjamin Britten by Michael Wilcox? It's a short book (Outlines 1997, 96pp) making a strong case for homosexual or 'sexual corruption of children' subtexts in a number of BB's works, most surprisingly for me Albert Herring.

The author's case there is that the AH libretto and stage business contains enough use of contemporary gay 'coded messages' to make it plain to those of that disposition that the hero's problems, and his breaking free at the end, are definitely homosexual, whatever the rest of the audience may think. A very thought-provoking book, even if you find like me that some of his ideas on other works are not quite as well 'nailed' evidentially as those on AH.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Rostropovich and BB's 3rd Cello Suite

Does anyone know why Rostropovich never recorded this work when it was dedicated to him, and he often rushed straight into the recording studio with a new work by a major composer? I don't think he played it much either. Did its use of the Russian Kontakion ('Hymn for the Departed') touch a raw nerve?

I have R's Decca studio recordings and live Russian recordings of the 1st and 2nd cello suites and the Cello symphony so it's puzzling if he never had much time for the 3rd after giving its first performance.

[Mary Chambers]

Has anyone come across Benjamin Britten by Michael Wilcox? It's a short book (Outlines 1997, 96pp) making a strong case for homosexual or 'sexual corruption of children' subtexts in a number of BB's works, most surprisingly for me Albert Herring.

The author's case there is that the AH libretto and stage business contains enough use of contemporary gay 'coded messages' to make it plain to those of that disposition that the hero's problems, and his breaking free at the end, are definitely homosexual, whatever the rest of the audience may think. A very thought-provoking book, even if you find like me that some of his ideas on other works are not quite as well 'nailed' evidentially as those on AH.

I've read it, though not for some time. It has interesting moments, but I feel that, like Philip Brett, he often twists and exaggerates the evidence to suit his own agenda. I agree that the speculations about Albert Herring are intriguing, but the librettist Eric Crozier wasn't gay himself - though that doesn't mean he didn't know the codes. I think there could be some truth in Wilcox's theories in this case, and I'm sure the idea of breaking free of a stuffy society's constraints was significant to Britten - it would be extraordinary if his own experiences didn't come into it at all.

[Flay]

The 5th episode of CoTW left a bad taste. Donald informed us that BB would deliberately drop friends and colleagues, never to acknowledge them again. Was he really not such a nice person?

Who would have been the best to have as a (platonic ) friend, BB or PP?

[Mary Chambers]

Who would have been the best to have as a (platonic ) friend, BB or PP?

I'd definitely have preferred PP! I'd have been scared of Britten.

[Norfolk Born]

According to the BBC website this film is 'not available' on iPlayer. Other evening programmes today are said to be 'coming soon' on iPlayer, so perhaps there's a copyright problem or something with this one.

The Ken Russell Delius was'nt available on iPlayer either. As you say, copyright or contractual issues may be involved. I took the precaution of recording the Britten, as there's no further repeat scheduled.

[Anna]

The Ken Russell Delius was'nt available on iPlayer either. As you say, copyright or contractual issues may be involved. I took the precaution of recording the Britten, as there's no further repeat scheduled.

I saw the Britten film when it was first broadcast so wasn't upset that it did not appear on iplayer. Britten always has been a major blindspot with me (so I avoided CotW), I have only two works of his, something about Christmas and a horn whatsit. Pears had a very odd voice I think. I wouldn't want to be friends with either of them! I was however upset at the Delius film (which I hadn't ever seen) not being on iplayer whereas the Elgar film is. Both were BBC productions so what could be the copyright issues?