Benjamin Britten

Phaidon Club

Performing Arts / Music

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A portrait of the life and work of Benjamin Britten.

Michael Oliver

Editions:

Price: USD$14.95

150 points

Specifications

Paperback
English
220 x 156 mm, 8 5/8 x 6 1/8 in
240 pp
80 black and white illustrations
ISBN-13: 9780714847719
ISBN-10: 0714847712

Overview

A portrait of the life and work of Benjamin Britten (1913–76), the greatest English composer of his time, and the first of his generation to enjoy a wide international reputation
Discusses how Britten's political and social convictions and sexuality directly or indirectly inspired much of his art
Looks at Britten's reinvention of English opera and his work as a pioneer of music for film and radio

In The Press

'Enthusiastically recommended.' (Library Journal)

'Finely balanced and beautifully written.' (Opera)

'Masterfully written. A highly recommended book.' (Scenaria)

'Michael Oliver’s Phaidon volume on Britten is one of the best in the series to date. The only regret, says Michael Tanner, is that the book isn’t longer.' (Classic CD)

'As a series, Phaidon's 20th Century Composers has brought remarkable variety and a welter of information, both necessary and delightfully trivial. Intended both for the general reader and for the more enthusiatically musical...' (The Scotsman)

About the author(s)

Michael Oliver, who sadly died in 2002, was well known as a writer and broadcaster, having written and compiled numerous programmes for BBC Radio 3 and written regularly for Gramophone and other magazines for over 20 years. He was also the author of Igor Stravinsky in the 20th-Century Composers series.