Jump to content

Nocturne (Britten): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
removed incorrect link
 
(40 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{italic title}}
'''''Nocturne for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments & strings''''' is song cycle by [[Benjamin Britten]]. Premiered at the Leeds Festival in October 1958, it is his third and final orchestral song cycle, after ''[[Les Illuminations]]'' (1939) and ''[[Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings]]'' (1943). It is dedicated to [[Alma Mahler]].
{{use British English|date=April 2015}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
'''''Nocturne''''', [[Opus number|Op.]]&nbsp;60, is a [[song cycle]] by [[Benjamin Britten]], written for tenor, seven [[obbligato]] instruments and strings.<ref>Britten himself used the spelling "obligato".</ref> The seven instruments are [[Western concert flute|flute]], [[cor anglais]], [[clarinet]], [[bassoon]], [[Pedal harp|harp]], [[French horn]] and [[timpani]].


''Nocturne'' was Britten's fourth and final orchestral song cycle, after ''[[Our Hunting Fathers]]'' (Op.&nbsp;8, 1936), ''[[Les Illuminations (Britten)|Les Illuminations]]'' (Op.&nbsp;18, 1939) and ''[[Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings]]'' (Op.&nbsp;31, 1943). It was dedicated to [[Alma Mahler]].<ref>[http://www.alma-mahler.at/engl/almas_life/almaunddiemusik2.html "Alma in the music of other composers – Benjamin Britten: ''Nocturne'', Op.&nbsp;60 (Dedicated to Alma)], short analysis</ref>
⚫
The theme of the piece (as its name suggests) is sleep and darkness, both in the literal and figurative sense. In this respect the work is reminiscent of Britten's earlier ''Serenade''. Unlike ''Serenade'', ''Nocturne'' is presented as a continuous piece rather than separate movements. This is emphasised by a number of figures which occur throughout, most notably the 'rocking' string motif which opens the work. The conflicting tonal relationship between C and Db is also evident throughout, reflecting the contrast between the untroubled and the more perturbed aspects of sleep which are also described by Britten's choice of poems.

''Nocturne'' was premiered in the [[Leeds Town Hall]] at the centenary [[Leeds Festival (classical music)|Leeds Festival]] on 16&nbsp;October [[1958 in music#Classical music|1958]] by [[Peter Pears]] and the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]] conducted by [[Rudolf Schwarz (conductor)|Rudolf Schwarz]].<ref>[http://www.piersgaveston.com/BrittenWorks.aspx "Britten's Complete Works"]by Scott Eric Smith {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526094726/http://www.piersgaveston.com/BrittenWorks.aspx |date=26 May 2011 }}</ref> Britten conducted a recording at [[Walthamstow Assembly Hall]] in 1960 with Pears, the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] and [[William Waterhouse (bassoonist)|William Waterhouse]] (bassoon), Alexander Murray (flute), [[Gervase de Peyer]] (clarinet), Roger Lord (cor anglais), [[Osian Ellis]] (harp), [[Barry Tuckwell]] (horn), and Denis Blyth (timpani).<ref>[https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7932216--britten-serenade-nocturne-and-les-illuminations "Britten: ''Serenade'', ''Nocturne'' and ''Les Illuminations''], [[Decca Records]], Presto Classical</ref>

⚫
The theme of the piece, as its name ''[[Nocturne]]'' suggests, is sleep and darkness, both in the literal and figurative sense. In this respect, the work is reminiscent of Britten's earlier ''Serenade''. Unlike ''Serenade'', ''Nocturne'' is presented as a [[Through-composed|continuous piece]] rather than separate [[Movement (music)|movements]]. This is emphasised by a number of figures which occur throughout, most notably the 'rocking'<ref>'rocking' as in [[wikt:rock#Verb|"Rock the baby to sleep"]]</ref> string [[Motif (music)|motif]] which opens the work. The conflicting tonal relationship between [[C (musical note)|C]] and [[D♭ (musical note)|D-flat]] is also evident throughout, reflecting the contrast between the untroubled and the more perturbed aspects of sleep which are also described by Britten's choice of poems.


== Structure ==
== Structure ==
The piece sets eight sections of poetry to music, each accompanied by strings and (with the exception of the first) by an obbligato instrument:
The piece sets eight sections of poetry to music, each accompanied by strings and (with the exception of the first) by an obbligato instrument:
* [[Percy Bysshe Shelley|Shelley]] - ''Prometheus Unbound''
# [[Percy Bysshe Shelley|Shelley]] – "[[s:Page:Prometheus Unbound - Shelley.djvu/60|On a Poet’s Lips I Slept]]" from ''[[Prometheus Unbound (Shelley)|Prometheus Unbound]]''
* [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Tennyson]] - ''The Kraken'', with [[Bassoon]]
# [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Tennyson]] – "[[s:The Kraken|The Kraken]]", with bassoon
* [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]] - ''The Wanderings of Cain'' (extract), with [[Harp]]
# [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge|Coleridge]] – "Encinctured with a twine of leaves" from ''[http://www.rc.umd.edu/editions/cain/ The Wanderings of Cain]'', with harp
* [[Thomas Middleton|Middleton]] - ''Blurt, Master Constable'', , with [[French Horn]]
# [[Thomas Middleton|Middleton]] – "Midnight Bell" from ''[[Blurt, Master Constable]]'', with French horn
* [[William Wordsworth|Wordsworth]] - ''The Prelude (1815)'' (extract), with [[Timpani]]
# [[William Wordsworth|Wordsworth]] – "But that night when on my bed I lay" from [[The Prelude|''The Prelude'' (1805)]], with timpani
* [[Wilfred Owen|Owen]] - ''The Kind Ghosts'', with [[Cor Anglais]]
# [[Wilfred Owen|Owen]] – "[[s:The Kind Ghosts|The Kind Ghosts]]", with cor anglais
* [[John Keats|Keats]] - ''Sleep and Poetry'', with [[Flute]] and [[Clarinet]]
# [[John Keats|Keats]] – "[[Sleep and Poetry]]", with flute and clarinet
* [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] - ''Sonnet XLIII'', with all of the obligato instruments.
# [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] – [[Sonnet 43|Sonnet XLIII]], with all the obbligato instruments

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.boosey.com/cr/music/Benjamin-Britten-Nocturne/6788 Work details], [[Boosey & Hawkes]]


{{Benjamin Britten|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Compositions by Benjamin Britten|Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings]]
[[Category:Song cycles by Benjamin Britten]]
[[Category:Pieces|Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings]]
[[Category:1958 compositions]]
[[Category:Music based on poems]]
[[Category:Nocturnes|Britten]]
[[Category:Classical song cycles in English]]

Latest revision as of 22:54, 31 January 2023

Nocturne, Op. 60, is a song cycle by Benjamin Britten, written for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings.[1] The seven instruments are flute, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon, harp, French horn and timpani.

Nocturne was Britten's fourth and final orchestral song cycle, after Our Hunting Fathers (Op. 8, 1936), Les Illuminations (Op. 18, 1939) and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Op. 31, 1943). It was dedicated to Alma Mahler.[2]

Nocturne was premiered in the Leeds Town Hall at the centenary Leeds Festival on 16 October 1958 by Peter Pears and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rudolf Schwarz.[3] Britten conducted a recording at Walthamstow Assembly Hall in 1960 with Pears, the London Symphony Orchestra and William Waterhouse (bassoon), Alexander Murray (flute), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), Roger Lord (cor anglais), Osian Ellis (harp), Barry Tuckwell (horn), and Denis Blyth (timpani).[4]

The theme of the piece, as its name Nocturne suggests, is sleep and darkness, both in the literal and figurative sense. In this respect, the work is reminiscent of Britten's earlier Serenade. Unlike Serenade, Nocturne is presented as a continuous piece rather than separate movements. This is emphasised by a number of figures which occur throughout, most notably the 'rocking'[5] string motif which opens the work. The conflicting tonal relationship between C and D-flat is also evident throughout, reflecting the contrast between the untroubled and the more perturbed aspects of sleep which are also described by Britten's choice of poems.

Structure

[edit]

The piece sets eight sections of poetry to music, each accompanied by strings and (with the exception of the first) by an obbligato instrument:

  1. Shelley – "On a Poet’s Lips I Slept" from Prometheus Unbound
  2. Tennyson – "The Kraken", with bassoon
  3. Coleridge – "Encinctured with a twine of leaves" from The Wanderings of Cain, with harp
  4. Middleton – "Midnight Bell" from Blurt, Master Constable, with French horn
  5. Wordsworth – "But that night when on my bed I lay" from The Prelude (1805), with timpani
  6. Owen – "The Kind Ghosts", with cor anglais
  7. Keats – "Sleep and Poetry", with flute and clarinet
  8. Shakespeare – Sonnet XLIII, with all the obbligato instruments

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Britten himself used the spelling "obligato".
  2. ^ "Alma in the music of other composers – Benjamin Britten: Nocturne, Op. 60 (Dedicated to Alma), short analysis
  3. ^ "Britten's Complete Works"by Scott Eric Smith Archived 26 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Britten: Serenade, Nocturne and Les Illuminations, Decca Records, Presto Classical
  5. ^ 'rocking' as in "Rock the baby to sleep"
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Nocturne_(Britten)&oldid=1136746041"