Search - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, John Shirley-Quirk, Benjamin Britten :: Britten Conducts Britten [Box Set]

Many great works in definitive performances

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 7-CD set, part of Decca's multi-box packaging of Britten's complete output, capturres him in tow roles, eminent composer and superlative conductor. The rpice is incredibly low, the sonics are the best that the industry had to offer in the Sixties and Seventies, and every musician involved was the best that Britain had to offer. The compilers have mixed some very obscure and little played works (the oreintal-flavored baallet, Prine of the Pagodas, the Piano Concerto), acknowledged masterpieces (the Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Less Illuminations, Nocturne), and some neglected works that deserve the status of masterpieces (the Violin concerto, the Holy Sonnets of John Donne).



Since the whole collection sells at super-bargain price, there's an incentive to buy without risk. Even if certain works don't apppeal -- I almost never relisten to the tough, late music such as the Cello Symphony, for example, and find Prince of the Pagodas a tinkly bore -- there are any number of unknown works that will delight newcomers. Styles range from early and extremely accessible (the Simple Symphony, the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, without narratory by the way) to some thorny, dark expressions that take real concentration (Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo).



In any event, this is great music-making by any standard. Britten remains the greatest exponent of his own works and is likely to remain that way for decades.



Piano Concerto, Op. 13



Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15



Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 68



Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20



Cantata Misericordium, Op. 69



Prelude & Fugue for 18 strings, Op. 29



Simple Symphony, Op. 4



Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10



The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34



The Prince of the Pagodas, Op. 57



Diversions for piano (left hand) and orchestra, Op. 21



Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Op. 22



The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35



Songs and Proverbs of William Blake



Winter Words, Op. 52



Tit for Tat



Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings, Op. 31



Les illuminations, Op. 18



Nocturne, Op. 60 for tenor, obbligato instruments and strings

"

Essential Britten

Peter Sheppard | Shell Beach, CA | 07/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Nobody conducts his works with greater energy, insight or sensitivity than the composer. The recorded sound is magnificent, up to date in every way. To anyone who loves the music of Benjamin Britten, these recordings are mandatory!"

A Great Britten Set

J. Rich | 10/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love Britten's music and there really isn't much competition in the way of performances. This box set, which is primarily comprised of orchestral works is one of the best Britten sets available on the market I think. This set, however, does not include his highly-acclaimed recording of his "War Requiem." It can be bought seperately: Britten: War Requiem.



Britten occupies an interesting time in classical music history. It's before the whole concept of contemporary classical took way. His music looks to the past as much as it does to the future.



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Here's the contents of this set:





Piano Concerto, Op.13

Track 1

1. Toccata

[12:01]

Track 2

2. Waltz

[5:06]

Track 3

3. Impromptu

[8:07]

Track 4

4. March

[8:51]

Sviatoslav Richter, English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Violin Concerto, Op.15

Track 5

1. Moderato con moto

[9:18]

Track 6

2. Vivace

[9:19]

Track 7

3. Passacaglia; Andante lento

[13:36]

Mark Lubotsky, English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten





Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, Op.68

Track 1

Allegro maestoso

[12:31]

Track 2

Presto inquieto

[3:39]

Track 3

Adagio

[10:33]

Track 4

Passacaglia

[7:25]

Mstislav Rostropovich, English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Sinfonia da Requiem, Op.20

Track 5

Lacrymosa

[8:46]

Track 6

Dies Irae

[5:04]

Track 7

Requiem aeternam

[6:38]

New Philharmonia Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 8

Cantata Misericordium, Op.69

[19:48]

Sir Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 1

Prelude and Fugue for 18-part string orchestra, Op.29

[9:12]

Simple Symphony, Op.4

Track 2

1. Boisterous Bourrée

[3:24]

Track 3

2. Playful Pizzicato

[3:05]

Track 4

3. Sentimental Sarabande

[7:52]

Track 5

4. Frolicsome Finale

[2:58]

Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, Op.10

Track 6

1. Introduction & Theme

[1:57]

Track 7

2. Adagio

[2:23]

Track 8

3. March

[1:06]

Track 9

4. Romance

[1:37]

Track 10

5. Aria Italiana

[1:19]

Track 11

6. Bourrée Classique

[1:17]

Track 12

7. Wiener Waltzer

[2:41]

Track 13

8. Moto Perpetuo

[1:09]

Track 14

9. Funeral March

[3:57]

Track 15

10. Chant

[1:42]

Track 16

11. Fugue & Finale

[7:30]

English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 17

The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, op.34

[16:31]

London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten





The Prince of the Pagodas, Op.57

Act 1

Track 1

Prelude

[2:21]

Track 2

The Fool and the Dwarf

[1:21]

Track 3

The Emperor - March

[1:30]

Track 4

Gavotte

[2:36]

Track 5

The Four Kings

[1:21]

Track 6

The King of the North

[1:18]

Track 7

The King of the East

[2:31]

Track 8

The King of the West

[1:07]

Track 9

The King of the South

[1:43]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 10

Belle Epine

[2:27]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 11

Belle Rose

[6:10]

Track 12

The Kings and Belle Rose

[1:26]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 13

Triumph of Belle Epine

[1:53]

Track 14

Rage of the Kings

[1:41]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 15

The Four Frogs

[2:58]

Act 2 Scene 1

Track 16

Air

[5:36]

Track 17

Water

[7:14]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 18

Fire

[5:59]

Act 2 Scene 2

Track 19

Belle Rose in Pagoda-Land

[2:06]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 20

The Pagodas

[3:03]

Track 21

The Salamander

[3:04]

Track 22

The Prince and Belle Rose

[5:54]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



The Prince of the Pagodas, Op.57

Act 3 Scene 1

Track 1

Belle Epine as Empress

[2:47]

Track 2

The Old Emperor

[2:51]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 3

Belle Rose and the Salamander

[1:34]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 4

Transition

[3:08]

Act 3 Scene 2

Track 5

The Pagoda Ballet

[1:37]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 6

Pas de Six

[2:03]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 7

Variation 1

[3:43]

Track 8

Variation 2

[1:07]

Track 9

Variation 3

[1:09]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 10

Pas de Trois

[1:25]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 11

Pas de Deux

[4:06]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 12

Variation 4

[1:11]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Track 13

Variation 5

[2:16]

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Benjamin Britten



Track 14

Finale

[6:11]

Benjamin Britten, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden



Diversions for piano (left hand) & orchestra, Op.21

Track 15

Theme

[1:06]

Track 16

Variation I - Recitative

[1:28]

Track 17

Variation II - Romance

[1:30]

Track 18

Variation III - March

[1:19]

Track 19

Variation IV - Arabesque

[1:37]

Track 20

Variation V - Chant

[1:47]

Track 21

Variation VI - Nocturne

[2:07]

Track 22

Variation VII - Badinerie

[1:26]

Track 23

Variation VIII - Burlesque

[1:53]

Track 24

Variation IXa -Toccata I

[0:48]

Track 25

Variation IXb - Toccata II

[2:01]

Track 26

Variation X - Adagio

[4:18]

Track 27

Variation XI - Tarantella

[2:44]

Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Op.22

Track 28

Sonetto XVI

[1:59]

Track 29

Sonetto XXXI

[1:22]

Track 30

Sonetto XXX

[3:16]

Track 31

Sonetto LV

[1:48]

Track 32

Sonetto XXXVIII

[1:54]

Track 33

Sonetto XXXII

[1:20]

Track 34

Sonetto XXIV

[4:50]

Sir Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten





The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op.35

Track 1

1. O, my blacke Soule!

[3:19]

Track 2

2. Better my heart

[1:19]

Track 3

3. O might those sighes and teares

[3:00]

Track 4

4. Oh, to vex me

[1:07]

Track 5

5. What if this present

[2:48]

Track 6

6. Since she whom I loved

[3:26]

Track 7

7. At the round earth's imagined corners

[2:34]

Track 8

8. Thou hast made me

[1:31]

Track 9

9. Death, be not proud

[3:56]

Sir Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten



Songs & Proverbs of William Blake, Op.74

Track 10

The Pride of the Peacock...London

[3:07]

Track 11

Prisons are built...The Chimney Sweeper

[2:54]

Track 12

The Bird anest...A Poison Tree

[4:28]

Track 13

Think in the morning...The Tyger

[2:34]

Track 14

The Tygers of wrath...The Fly

[2:49]

Track 15

The hours of folly...Ah, Sun Flower

[4:16]

Track 16

To see a world...Every night and every morn

[3:26]

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Benjamin Britten



Winter Words, Op.52

Track 17

At day-close in November

[1:37]

Track 18

Midnight on the Great Western

[4:26]

Track 19

Wagtail and baby

[1:56]

Track 20

The little old table

[1:21]

Track 21

The choirmaster's burial

[3:43]

Track 22

Proud songsters

[1:07]

Track 23

At the railway station, Upway

[2:39]

Track 24

Before life and after

[3:18]

Sir Peter Pears, Benjamin Britten



Tit for tat

Track 25

1. A song of enchantment

[2:25]

Track 26

2. Autumn

[1:13]

Track 27

3. Silver

[1:43]

Track 28

4. Vigil

[1:44]

Track 29

5. Tit for tat

[1:32]

John Shirley-Quirk, Benjamin Britten



Serenade for tenor, horn & strings, Op.31

Track 1

Prologue

[1:25]

Barry Tuckwell



Track 2

Pastoral - The Day's Grown Old

[3:37]

Track 3

Nocturne - The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls

[3:21]

Track 4

Elegy - O Rose, Thou Art Sick

[4:02]

Track 5

Dirge - This Ae Night

[3:45]

Track 6

Hymn - Queen and Huntress Chaste and Fair

[2:01]

Track 7

Sonnet - O Soft Embalmer of the Still Midnight

[4:10]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 8

Epilogue

[1:33]

Barry Tuckwell



Les Illuminations, Op.18

Track 9

I. Fanfare

[1:51]

Track 10

II. Villes

[2:32]

Track 11

IIIa. Phrase

[0:57]

Track 12

IIIb. Antique

[2:10]

Track 13

IV. Royauté

[1:37]

Track 14

V. Marine

[1:02]

Track 15

VI. Interlude

[2:22]

Track 16

VII. Being beauteous

[4:04]

Track 17

VIII. Parade

[2:48]

Track 18

IX. Départ

[2:42]

Sir Peter Pears, English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Nocturne for tenor, 7 obligato instruments & strings, Op.60

Track 19

1. On a poet's lips I slept

[3:23]

Track 20

2. Below the thunders of the upper deep

[3:18]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, Osian Ellis, Denis Blyth, Roger Lord, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 21

3. Encintured with a twine of leaves

[2:12]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, Denis Blyth, Roger Lord, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, Osian Ellis, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 22

4. Midnight's bell goes ting, ting, ting

[2:30]

Sir Peter Pears, Osian Ellis, Denis Blyth, Roger Lord, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, Barry Tuckwell, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 23

5. But that night when on my bed I lay

[3:03]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, Osian Ellis, Roger Lord, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, Denis Blyth, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 24

6. She sleeps on soft, last breaths

[4:31]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, Osian Ellis, Denis Blyth, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, Roger Lord, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



Track 25

7. What is more gentle than a wind in summer?

[3:28]

Track 26

8. When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see

[4:02]

Sir Peter Pears, Barry Tuckwell, Osian Ellis, Denis Blyth, Roger Lord, Alexander Murray, Gervase de Peyer, William Waterhouse, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten



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This is really a great set. I don't like all the music here of course. I thought many of vocal pieces were very avant-garde and just not to my liking. The performances of the "Violin Concerto," "Piano Concerto," "Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge," "Diversions for piano and orchestra," "Simple Symphony," "Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra," "Cantata Misericordium," and "Symphonia da Requiem," however, all receive outstanding performances. Possibly the best I've heard from any conductor and orchestra.



Britten has proved himself a very capable conductor of his own works along with Stravinsky and Copland. This definitely blows away all other recordings of these works I've heard. The only other recordings I've liked were with Rattle/CBSO and Hickox/LSO. Other than these conductors, there's really not much competition."