Benjamin Britten in Context

Vicki P Stroeher, Justin Vickers

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781108496698
• eBook ISBN: 9781108751971
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Music History & Criticism

Benjamin Britten, pianist, conductor, educator, composer of a wide range of music from large-scale operas and choral works to string quartets and songs, is acknowledged as a pivotal figure in mid-twentieth-century Britain. This volume explores the contexts for his multi-faceted career and his engagement with his contemporaries in music, art, literature, and film, British musical institutions, royal and governmental entities, and the church, as well as his ground-breaking projects, philosophical and ideological tenets. The book is thematically structured in five parts: Britten's relationships with Peter Pears, his close friends, mentors, and colleagues; musical life in Britain; his interactions with previous and contemporary generations of composers; his professional work with choreographers, librettists, stage designers, and directors; and his socio-cultural, religious, and political environment. The chapters shed light on the many opportunities and challenges of post-war British musical life that shaped Britten's creative output.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Series page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Notes on Contributors
• Acknowledgements
• List of Bibliographic and In-Text Abbreviations
• Prologue: Positioning Britten
• Part I The Britten Circle(s)
• Part II British Musical Life
• Part III Britten and Other Composers
• Part IV Wordsmiths, Designers, and Performers
• Part V British Sociocultural, Religious, and Political Life
• Further Reading
• Index