Benjamin Britten

War Reqiuem
Presented
By
Kevin
Composer’s Biography

• Edward Benjamin Britten.

• Leading British Composer of the mid-20th century.
• Born in 22 November 1913, Lowestoft, England
• Father was a dentist
• Mother was an amateur singer and pianist.
• Started studying piano and viola during his youth.
• By the age of 14 he composed more than hundred pieces.
• At the age of 18 he began studying composition privately with Frank Bridge.
• In 1930 he enrolled at the Royal College of Music studying composition with John Ireland.
• In 1935 he found new outlets for his talents in providing music for a series of documentary films made by the General Post.
• In 1937 his variations on a theme of Frank Bridge for strings and orchestra won him international acclaim.
• From 1939 he left England for North America along with Peter Pears.
• From 1939 to 1942 he was in the United States where his first work for the stage, the operetta Paul Bunyan was performed.
• On returning to England in 1942, Britten focused more on composing Opera.
• In 1945 he received critical acclaimed for Peter Grimes.
• His accomplishment as a composer can be seen from his works such as the War Requiem.
• In 1973 April he supplied a stroke during an operation to replace a weak heart valve.
• His health declined and mobility impaired.
• Died in 1976 at the age of 63.
• In recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the musical life of England he was given the country’s highest honour Life Pear, with the title Barren Britten
of Alenburg.
• His works consists of large scale orchestral/choral compositions to acapella and piano accompanied part songs and liturgical pieces and anthems for the
Anglican Church to concerts cantatas sets to sacred and secular text
War Requiem Op. 66

• Background
• Written in 1961 and completed in 1962.
• Regarded as one of the masterpiece.
• It was commissioned for a ceremony honouring the opening of the New Coventry Cathedral which had been destroyed in WWII.
• The piece was dedicated to four Britten’s friends, three of whom died in WWII. The fourth, Piers Dunkerley, survived the war but later
committed suicide in 1959, three years before the premiere of the work in Coventry.
• Orchestration
• Has 3 flutes, 2 obes, English horn, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion –
antique cymbals, bass drum, castanets, chimes, Chinese block, tambourine, tenor drum, triangle, vibraphone, and whip, piano, organ,
children’s chorus, mixed chorus, soprano, tenor and baritone soloist, and strings plus chamber ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon,
horn timpani, harp and single strings.
Analysis

• Requiem Aeternam: The opening orchestral passage suggests heavy work in its straining and
heavy as though weapons of mass destruction are being dragged into place. The tritone
(augmented fourth) which Britten uses to signifies evils of the war. The adult sings Requiem
aeternam (rest eternal), which represents humanity mourning for all the dead generally and for
the victims of the war. The boys’ choir then appeared with organ accompaniment and violin
which remains dissonance. The first tenor solo begins. This movement ends with a brief
setting of the words from the first part of the Ordinary of the mass Kyrie eleison.
• Dies irae(day of wrath): Opens with the trombone and followed by the French horn and
then the adult choir in its full orchestra. There is a baritone solo with chamber orchestra
and harp accompaniment. A soprano solo then appears accompanied by strings and
timpani. Next comes the first duet for the male soloist, the two voices has an antiphony
element. The next part there are sections where women sings separately and then men
separately Then a baritone solo appears again. The final part of this movement is very
slow and quite with the chorus.
• Offertorium : Opens with the boys choir with organ accompaniment. Then then the full
orchestra and choir enter with words set to the archangel. Baritone and tenor solos then
enter. Then this movement ends with the adult choir.
• Sanctus: Opens with the solo soprano with the word Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus
Deus Saboath. Then the choir enters in with fanfare rhythms while the bass keep singing
the word sanctus. This movement ends with a baritone solo.
• Agnus Dei: Begins with a tenor solo prelude. This movement is mostly performed by the
tenor soloist with the choir in a call and response manner. This movement is also the
shortest of all the movements.
• Libera me: This movement is quite and long. Opens with percussions followed by the
woodwinds and the choir with narrow, chromatic, lamenting melodic phrases on the
words “Libera me, Domine, de morte aeternam”(Liberate me Lord, from death eternal).
The final section then begins with the choirs and the solo soprano joins in. Towards the
end of the work the two male soloists come together poignantly. This section has fanfare
elements. The movement grows to very dense. Towards the end all the singers and
instrumentalist perform together. The works ends on Requiescant in pace amen.