Benjamin Britten

by Michael Oliver

Benjamin Britten (1913–76) changed the course of English music with highly original works such as his opera Peter Grimes . While his music is performed more widely than those of any other English composer, his international success did not prevent him from continuing to draw inspiration from his native land. In this engaging biography, the author creates a portrait of a great artist, exploring his wide-ranging compositions in detail and discussing the many contradictions that pervaded Britten's fascinating life and career.

Genres: Music, Biography

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 1996

About the author

Michael Oliver was a writer and broadcaster, having written and comp. hundreds of documentaries, and magazine programmes about music for BBC Radio 3, and written regularly for Gramophone, etc.

Reviews

[Otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid biography of Britten. Very interesting and vivid descriptions of his music - the biographer clearly has a deep love and respect for his music. Would love to conduct Midsummer nights dream or Turn of the Screw at some point.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the Phaidon series of books on 20th century composers, and, like the others I've read from the series, is a solid overview of the subject's life and works. They're not heavy on the analysis or criticism, but they are a very good starting place for learning about and getting background on a composer. They also have many pictures that help to give the reader a sense of personality and place.
I've very much admired Britten's music ever since seeing a production of The Turn of the Screw at The Boston Conservatory when I was in grad school there. Then several years later, I was blown away by the War Requiem. it turns out there's a lot to admire and like about him personally, too. He was diligent and hard-working, sensitive, and prone to feeling less-than-confident about his work. His aesthetic combined both traditional and modernistic elements. He also was an able administrator, successfully founding and running the Aldeburgh festival for many years. I found I could really relate to him.
Oliver's writing is straightforward and sympathetic. He covers a lot of ground very efficiently and happily does not indulge in any idealization of Britten or any "great genius" conceits.