Northwest Sinfonietta Music off the Record The British are Coming: Celebrating the Benjamin Britten Centenary Dr. Ken Owen.

Northwest SinfoniettaMusic off the Record

The British are Coming:Celebrating the Benjamin Britten Centenary

Dr. Ken Owen

The British are coming!

Paul Revere

Happy Veterans Day!

Different for music

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)How do you

say it?

Anglophiles?

England a messJust before Henry’s birth

Oliver CromwellHates music, dance, art etc.Hates ChristmasGreat traditionof church musicdestroyedPeople hate himSon takes over

◦Asks King to return

Cromwell & PurcellKing Charles II has Cromwells

body put on trial and hanged◦Don’t mess with the music!◦Henry 1 year old

Henry Purcell - Who’s your Daddy? ◦Henry or Thomas?

Orphaned Raised by Uncle who called him son.

HenryYoung Henry part of restored English tradition ◦boy choirs in Cathedrals.

Scholarship to Westminster school◦Voice changed later back then◦When voice changed stayed in Westminster “Keeper, maker, mender, repairer and

tuner of instruments.”

HenryScores his first bit hit at age 20 Writes Chacony the next year.Continued studies with John Blow

◦Blow resigns from position as head organist So Purcell can take the job

Henry’s resting placeBurried at foot of Westminster

Abby organ

ChaconyChacony = chaconneDances important in Royal courtsDifferent dances from different

countries All danced in all Part of royal upbringing Chaconne from Spain

http://youtu.be/IND7W-JlqAMdotted rhythmsground “bass” – Purcell creativity

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)Child prodigyChildhood compositions

get attn. of Frank Bridge

◦Bridge didn’t take students◦Taught Britten to 17

BrittenRoyal College of Music

◦Not as good as Frank◦Graduates at 22

Job writing film scores◦Friends w/W. H. Auden “edgy” controversial Collaborated & music fit – audience

didn’t

BrittenAuden left for USA “where people

are more open minded”◦Britten followed

Homesick Britten reads British poetry – goes home

BrittenBegan to refine how to set

English to music◦On boat home wrote Hymn to St.

CeciliaHorn player asks for composition

– serenadePeter Grimes

SerenadeDenis Brain, horn player

◦Friends from film score days◦Serenade for Brain, Pears and string

orchestra

English poetry spanning 15th – 19th century

Serenade for Tenor Horn and StringsI – Prologue - solo horn, natural

harmonicsII - Pastoral - 17th century English poem

gentle descending arpeggios III - Nocturne (Tennyson) horn/ tenor

conversation “Blow bugle blow.”IV - Elegy (William Blake) pulsing chords,

harmonic climaxes, dissonant horn lines.V – Dirge – voice alone, then orchestra

contrastVI – Hymn – hunting horn, horn/tenor

conversationVII – Sonnet (Keats) ethereal and

melancholy VIII – Epilog – horn alone http://youtu.be/PQ0ITqRBaE0

Variations on a Theme of Frank BridgeBased on theme by his teacher

Var. on FrankDuring film-score job (for the post

office)Commission from Boyd Neel

orchestra◦For Salzburg Festival

Bridge theme from “Idyll”◦String quartet

Each movement related to Bridge’s character http://youtu.be/4arvVMxRL_8I. Introduction Presents themeII. Adagio integrity, depthIII. March energyIV. Romance charmV. Aria Italiana wit, humourVI. Bourée Classique traditionVII. Wiener Waltzer enthusiasmVIII. Moto Perpetuo vitalityIX. Funeral March s ympathy or

understandingX. Chant reverenceXI. Fugue and Finale skill and affection

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Dad was music store owner/piano

tuner/ town musicianNo formal training

◦Learned from Dad◦Few violin lessonsfrom a local

ElgarWorked in Worcester Various musical gigsTook over Dad’s job as church organistWorcester phill Glee clubTaught violinComposed

ElgarEnigma Variations established

OratoriosLeft England to relax

◦Wales – melody of Intro & Allegro

Dedicated to Yale professor

Introduction and allegroString quartet against large

group of stringsHandel’s concerto grosso?Frequent divisi in strings Lush English string writing

traditionhttp://youtu.be/Q7u89h7arlU