Benjamin Britten in Context

by Vicki P. Stroeher (Editor), Justin Vickers (editor)

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 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.

426 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2024

About the author

Vicki Stroeher is a Professor of Music History at Marshall University in Huntington, WV where she is also Coordinator of the Music History and Literature area and chapter advisor for the Delta Kappa Chapter of Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity. She earned her Ph.D. in musicology with a secondary specialization in music theory from the University of North Texas in 1994.

Reviews

[Buchpfau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, in some case authoritative and with new insights.
The only disappointment is that quite a few essays promise far more in their opening paragraph that they actually deliver, probably due to the limited space. So this leaves somehow a bitter aftertaste but overall I recommend it to Britten enthusiasts and performers alike