Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1971

Publication Date

:

1993

Average_duration

:

8:13

"Let the dreadful engines of eternal will" is a choral work composed by Benjamin Britten in 1961. The piece was premiered on July 22, 1961, at the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk, England. The work is divided into three movements, each with its own distinct character and musical style. The first movement, "The World is charged with the grandeur of God," is a setting of a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins. The music is characterized by a driving rhythm and a sense of urgency, reflecting the poem's theme of the power and majesty of nature. The choir sings in unison for much of the movement, with occasional harmonies and dissonances adding color and texture. The second movement, "The Sun is but a spark of fire," is a setting of a text by William Blake. The music is more contemplative and introspective than the first movement, with a slower tempo and more complex harmonies. The choir sings in four-part harmony, with each voice part contributing to the overall texture of the music. The final movement, "O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains," is a setting of a text by Shakespeare. The music is characterized by a sense of anger and frustration, reflecting the poem's theme of the destructive power of addiction. The choir sings in a more declamatory style, with the music building to a powerful climax before subsiding into a quiet, reflective coda. Overall, "Let the dreadful engines of eternal will" is a powerful and thought-provoking work that showcases Britten's skill as a composer and his ability to set texts to music in a way that brings out their emotional and intellectual depth. The piece is a testament to Britten's commitment to using music as a means of exploring the human condition and addressing the social and political issues of his time.

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