Edward Benjamin Britten
Born: 21 Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft, England, 22 Nov. 1913
Died: the Red House, Aldeburgh, England, 4 Dec. 1976
Operas
The dates and locations are those of the premieres. Listed in order
of opus numbers.
- Paul Bunyan, Op. 17 (5.5.1941, Columbia University, New York).
Operetta in 2 acts, W. H. Auden.
- Peter Grimes, Op. 33 (7.6.1945, Sadler's Wells, London).
Opera in 3 acts, Montagu Slater, after the poem The Borough
by George Crabbe.
- The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37 (12.7.1946, Glyndebourne).
Opera in 2 acts, Ronald Duncan, after the play Le Viol de
Lucrèce by André Obey.
- Albert Herring, Op. 39 (20.6.1947, Glyndebourne).
Opera in 3 acts, Eric Crozier, after de Maupassant's Le Rosier
de Madame Husson.
- Let's Make an Opera (The Little Sweep), Op. 45 (14.6.1949,
Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh).
Children's Opera in 2 parts, Eric Crozier.
- Billy Budd, Op. 50 (1.12.1951, Covent Garden, London).
Opera in 4 acts, E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, after Melville's novel.
- Gloriana, Op. 53 (8.6.1953, Covent Garden, London).
Opera in 3 acts, William Plomer, after Lytton Strachey's Elizabeth
and Essex.
- The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54 (14.9.1954, Teatro la Fenice, Venice). Opera in prologue and 2 acts,
Myfanwy Piper,
after Henry James' novella.
- Noye's Fludde, Op. 59 (18.6.1958, Orford Church, Aldeburgh).
Children's Church Opera
- A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64 (11.6.1960, Jubilee Hall,
Aldeburgh).
Opera in 3 acts, Britten and Peter Pears, after Shakespeare
- Curlew River, Op. 71 (12.6.1964, Orford Church, Aldeburgh).
Church Parable, William Plomer.
- The Burning Fiery Furnace, Op. 77 (9.6.1966, Orford Church,
Aldeburgh).
Church Parable, William Plomer.
- The Prodigal Son, Op. 81 (10.6.1968, Orford Church, Aldeburgh).
Church Parable, William Plomer.
- Owen Wingrave, Op. 85 (16.5.1971, BBC TV broadcast;
10.5.1973, Covent Garden, London).
Opera in 2 acts,
Myfanwy Piper,
after the short story by Henry James.
- Death in Venice, Op. 88 (16.6.1973, the Maltings, Snape
[Aldeburgh]).
Opera in 2 acts,
Myfanwy Piper,
after the novella Der Tod in Venedig by Thomas Mann.
Adaptations and Realizations
- The Beggar's Opera, Op. 43 (24.5.1948, Arts Theatre, Cambridge).
Realization of the Ballad Opera in 3 acts, John Gay.
- Dido and Aeneas (1.5.1951, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith).
Realization of the Opera by Henry Purcell (with Imogen Holst).
- The Fairy Queen (25.6.1967, the Maltings).
Realization of the Opera by Henry Purcell.
Film Scores
- The King's Stamp (1935)
- Coal Face (1935)
- The Tocher (1935)
- God's Chillun (1935)
- Night Mail (1936)
- Peace of Britain (1936)
- The Calendar of the Year (1936)
- The Saving of Bill Blewett (1936)
- Line to the Tschierva Hut (1936)
- Love from a Stranger (1936)
- Book Bargain (1937)
- Many a Pickle (1938)
- Advance Democracy (1938)
- Village Harvest (1938)
- Instruments of the Orchestra (1946)
Incidental and Other Dramatic Music
- Timon of Athens (1935)
- Easter 1916 (1935)
- The Ascent of F6 (1937)
- Pageant of Empire (1937)
- Out of the Picture (1937)
- King Arthur (radio) (1937)
- The Company of Heaven (radio) (1937)
- Hadrian's Wall (radio) (1937)
- The Seven Ages of Man (1938)
- Old Spain (1938)
- On the Frontier (1938)
- Lines on the Map (radio) (1938)
- The World of the Spirit (radio) (1938)
- Chartism (radio show) (1938)
- Johnson over Jordan (1939)
- The Sword in the Stone (radio) (1939)
- The Dark Valley (radio) (1940)
- The Rocking Horse Winner (radio) (1941)
- An American in England (radio) (1942)
- The Man Born to be King (radio) (1942)
- The Four Freedoms (radio) (1943)
- Appointment (radio) (1943)
- Lumberjacks of America (radio) (1943)
- Britain to America (radio) (1943)
- The Rescue (radio) (1943)
- A Poet's Christmas (radio) (1944)
- This Way to the Tomb (1945)
- The Eagle has Two Heads (1946)
- The Duchess of Malfi (1946)
- The Dark Tower (radio) (1946)
- Men of Goodwill (radio) (1947)
- Stratton (1949)
- Am Stram Gram (1954). canon.
- Old Friends Are Best (1955)
- The Prince of the Pagodas, Op. 57 (1.1.1957, Covent Garden, London).
Ballet.
- The Golden Vanity, Op. 78 (3.6.1967, the Maltings).
Children's Cantata.
- Children's Crusade, Op. 82 (19.5.1969, St. Paul's Cathedral,
London).
Children's Cantata.
Brief Biography
Monday, 08-Dec-2003 21:33:53 PST