Benjamin Britten born

Synopsis

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. The British composer was born in Suffolk in 1913, the son of a dentist. In the Anglican Church, November 22nd is celebrated as St. Cecilia's Day, in honor of the patron saint of music, and young Edward Benjamin Britten showed a very early and very deep talent for music. He studied at the Royal College in London, and privately with the British composer Frank Bridge, and by the time of Britten's death in 1976, was rated as arguably the finest British composer of the 20th century.

Regarding his craft, Britten remarked, "Composing is like driving down a foggy road toward a house. Slowly you see more details of the house—the color of the slates and bricks, the shape of the windows. The notes are the bricks and the mortar of the house." And, on still another occasion, "The old idea of a composer suddenly having a terrific idea and sitting up all night to write it is nonsense. Nighttime is for sleeping."

In a feature celebrating Britten's 50th birthday that appeared in a 1963 issue of TIME magazine, the composer's lifetime partner, the tenor Peter Pears, said, "Britten has never claimed to be an innovator. There blows though his vocal music, at least, a strong, revitalizing southeast wind which has rid English song of much accumulated dust and cobwebs. If Britten is no innovator, he is most certainly a renovator."

Music Played in Today's Program

Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976) Hymn to Saint Cecilia, Op. 27

On This Day

Births

• 1709 - Baptism of Bohemian composer Frantisek Benda, in Staré Benátky; In 1763 Benda wrote his autobiography, an important source of information on music and musicians of the period;

• 1710 - German composer Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (eldest son of J. S.), in Weimar;

• 1780 - German composer Conradin Kreutzer, in Messkirch, Baden;

• 1899 - American pianist and songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, in Bloomington, Ind.;

• 1901 - Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo, in Sagunto;

• 1913 - English composer Benjamin Britten, in Lowestoft, Suffolk;

• 1925 - American composer, conductor, professional French horn player, and author Gunther Schuller, in New York;

• 1936 - German composer and conductor Hans Zender, in Wiesbaden;

Deaths

• 1900 - English composer Sir Arthur Sullivan, in London, age 58;

• 1955 - French composer Guy Ropartz, age 91, in Lanloup;

Premieres

• 1712 - Handel: opera “Il pastor fido,” at the Queen’s Theater in London (Gregorian date: Dec. 3);

• 1727 - Handel: opera “Riccardo Primo” in London (see Julian date: Nov. 11);

• 1739 - Handel: “Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day,” in London at Lincoln’s Inn Field (Gregorian date: Dec. 3);

• 1740 - Handel: opera “Imeneo” in London at Lincoln’s Inn Fields (Gregorian date: Dec. 3) ; This work was billed as an “operetta”;

• 1872 - Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A, Op. 5 (original version), at the Konvikt Hall in Prague; Dvořák revised this early chamber work in 1887;

• 1895 - Rachmaninoff: “Caprice bohémien” (Capriccio on Gypsy Themes) (Gregorian date: Dec. 4);

• 1907 - Charles Martin Loeffler: "A Pagan Poem," Karl Muck conducting Boston Symphony Orchestra;

• 1928 - Ravel: ballet "Bolero," danced by Ida Rubinstein, at the Paris Opéra;

• 1931 - Ferde Grofé: "Grand Canyon" Suite, in Chicago, by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra;