Britten and the Orchestra
] NEVER cease to be amazed at Britten’s handling of the orchestra. His variations on a theme of PurcellA Young Person’s Guide to the Orch-estra-was broadcast in a recent recording of a programme by the BBC Orchestra under Sargent. I am going to scour the programmes for its next appearance, for I sat on the edge of my chair with excitement when I heard it. Britten takes his Purcell theme and plays it by the choirs, strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion. Then he has variations on it for each of the instrumental groups, but the skill with which he does this is amazing. For example, the woodwind Variations show the instruments in pairs in duet parts, the bassoons play a double »part, one a smooth legato and the other a brilliant staccato, the two clarinets exchange brilliant arpeggios, and so on. Then comes a fugue, beginning with the piccolo, of all instruments, and spreading through the orchestra like wildfire, until it is finished off by the brass, who will have none of it, but thunder out the original Purcell theme, The whole is an astonishing four de force.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19481224.2.16.5
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 496, 24 December 1948, Page 9
Word count
Tapeke kupu
191Britten and the Orchestra New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 496, 24 December 1948, Page 9
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in