Essays on Benjamin Britten from a centenary symposium / edited by David Forrest [and three others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Forrest, David, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Britten, Benjamin, 1913-1976.

Britten, Benjamin.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (324 pages) : illustrations, tables

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Newcastle upon Tyne, England : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017.

Summary:

Coming to terms with Britten's music is no easy task. The complex, often contradictory language associated with Britten's style likely stems from his double interest in progressive composition and immediate connection with a broad, popular audience - an apparent paradox in the splintered musical culture of the 20th century - as well as from complicated truths in his own life, such as his love for a country that accepted neither his sexuality nor his politics. As a result, the attempt to describe his music can tell us as much about our own biases and the inadequacies of our analytic tools as it does about the music itself. Such audits of our scholarly language and strategies are vital in light of the still-murky view we have of twentieth century music. This opportunity for academic self-reflection is the reason Britten studies such as this book are so important. The essays included here challenge assumptions about musical constructs, relationships between text and music, and the influences of age, spirituality, and personal relationships on compositional technique. Part One offers nine essays originally compiled for a symposium designed to recognize the composer's unique and varied contributions to music. The authors include performers, musicologists, and music theorists, and their work will appeal to a wide diversity of readers. The topics and methodologies range from archival research and analysis of text and music to theoretical modelling using techniques such as set theory, metric theory, and prolongation. While the papers were initially conceived in isolation from one another, the collaborative focus of the symposium created opportunities for authors to expose points of intersection. This deliberate reconciliation of lines of inquiry has yielded a more balanced and unified collection of essays than typically found in a simple record of

proceedings. Furthermore, the chapters presented here benefit from the wealth of Britten research produced since the 2013 centenary. Part Two provides an account of the symposium performances and lecture recitals that accompanied and enriched the academic presentations. The reader will encounter fully the journey taken by symposium presenters, participants, and attendees by reviewing the concerts, lecture recitals, and papers in the context of the full symposium program.

Contents:

Intro

Table of Contents

List of Tables

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part One: Essays

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Part Two: Symposium

Introduction to Part Two

Concerts

Lecture Recitals

Bibliography

Contributors

Index.

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed July 18, 2017).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-4438-9602-0

OCLC:

992318062