Benjamin Britten Books

(Boosey & Hawkes Scores/Books). Les Illuminations * Serenade Op. 31 * Nocturne * Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal.

This fantastic book contains three complete suites from Opus numbers 72, 80, and 87. Each suite has background information written by Benjamin Britten for a more authentic performance.

Volume One of these remarkable letters and diaries opens with a letter from Britten aged nine to his formidable mother, Edith.

This second of two volumes of the letters and diaries of Benjamin Britten is supplemented by the editors' detailed commentary and extensive contemporary documentation. The aim is to present a portrait not only of the composer but of an age.

This newly commissioned opera guide contains a thematic guide, and an up-to- date bibliography, select discography and website guide.

Britten's last opera is based on the short story by Thomas Mann. It follows the inner turmoil of the ageing novelist Gustav von Aschenbach, who becomes infatuated by a boy he sees on the beach in Venice. Unable to confess his love, he dies as the city is ravaged by plague. Full of atmosphere and intense soundscapes, the simple yet subtle motives pull the opera together with great sureness of touch.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A work for soprano, contralto and piano lasting 3 minutes set to a text by William Blake - this is the earliest of a number of lullabies and cradle songs Britten wrote during the late 1930s and 1940s for Mary Ross McDougall and Anne Wood.