Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. 4

All these superb Decca recordings of the music of Britten were made in 1953. All of the few Britten recordings made by Eugene Goossens have now been released on Decca Eloquence. Remodelled on themes he wrote as a boy, the Simple Symphonys undeniable charm and charisma have ensured it a constant place in repertoire enjoyed not only by children but by adults too. Much the same goes for The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, and this Van Beinum recording, one of the works earliest, was something of a demonstration CD for its day. It was coupled with the Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes as well as the Passacaglia, and the latter, much requested, now receives its first issue on Decca CD. Britten recording the Sinfonia da Requiem twice, first in September 1953 with Danish forces and then more than ten years later in December 1964 with the New Philharmonia Orchestra. Andrew Porter, reviewing the earlier recording in the February 1955 issue of The Gramophone declared that it could hardly be bettered. Some 55 years on, it makes its first appearance on CD.

This release commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the first performance by world famous I Musici performing Antonio Vivaldi’s La Quattro Stagioni.

Includes a bonus track of Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony Op. 4

Benjamin Britten (1913-76) was one of the most precocious of all composers who have the term child prodigy attached to them. Britten showed a keen interest in music from a very early age – both as a pianist and composer. He would become a formidable pianist, but as remarkable as his early compositions are (he had composed 6 string quartets by the age of 12!), very few people, including Frank Bridge could predict that he would become the 20th centuries greatest opera composers. In this 2CD set the early Simple Symphony is heard in the composer’s arrangement for quartet. It is based on early works, including his 9th piano sonata of 1926, and the 3rd suite for piano of 1925 – both composed when Britten was just 12 years old.

Britten composed three mature quartets spanning his creative life, and one unnumbered work dating from 1931. Britten returned to this student work in 1971 whist recovering from a heart operation, and revised it for performance at the 1975 Aldeburgh Festival. The 1st quartet dates from 1941, the 2nd from 1945 and was premiered on the actual day that Purcell died some 250 years earlier, and was Britten’s second contribution to the Purcell Anniversary, after The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. It’s a powerful work reflecting the composer’s shock at seeing first hand the concentration camps after the fall of the Nazis. Britten toured Germany with Yehudi Menuhin and what he saw left a lasting impression on him. The 3rd quartet is from 1975/6, and was premiered two weeks after his death – the quartet uses fragments of his last opera Death in Venice in the last movement.

‘brilliantly incisive and excellently balanced. In particular, the great first movement sounds much more radical than usual, simply because the players pay scrupulous attention to Britten's expression marks and relish the remarkable contrasts of tempo and texture.’ Gramophone, reviewing the 1st quartet , May 1991

‘…..undeniably compelling readings.’ Gramophone, on the 2nd and 3rd quartets, December 1990

Since the foundation of the Festival Strings of Lucerne in 1956, the works of Benjamin

Britten have been among the ensemble‘s core repertoire. These deceptively simple works place high technical demands on the musicians and the orchestra on this recording is more than up to the challenge. These are fresh performances of some very well known compositions.