Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1932

Publication Date

:

1983

First Performance

:

Jul 22, 1932

Average_duration

:

10:59

Benjamin Britten's 'Phantasy, for string quintet in F minor' was composed in 1932 when he was just 18 years old. It was premiered on 5th May 1933 at the Wigmore Hall in London by the English String Quartet with the composer himself playing the viola part. The piece is divided into four movements, each with its own distinct character. The first movement, marked 'Andante con moto', begins with a melancholic melody played by the viola, which is then taken up by the first violin. The music gradually builds in intensity, with the other instruments joining in, before subsiding back into the opening theme. The second movement, marked 'Allegro molto', is a lively scherzo with a playful, dance-like quality. The music is full of rhythmic energy, with the instruments chasing each other in a lively game of musical tag. The third movement, marked 'Recitative and Passacaglia', is the emotional heart of the piece. It begins with a mournful recitative played by the viola, which is then taken up by the other instruments. This leads into a passacaglia, a form of variation in which a repeating bass line provides the foundation for a series of variations. Britten's passacaglia is built on a descending four-note motif, which is transformed in a series of increasingly complex variations. The music builds to a powerful climax before subsiding back into the mournful recitative. The final movement, marked 'Andante', is a gentle, reflective coda. The music is full of longing and nostalgia, with the instruments weaving a delicate web of sound around each other. The piece ends with a quiet, unresolved chord, leaving the listener with a sense of wistful yearning. Overall, Britten's 'Phantasy' is a mature and accomplished work, full of emotional depth and musical sophistication. Despite its youthfulness, it already displays many of the hallmarks of Britten's later style, including his gift for melody, his love of variation and his ability to create complex, multi-layered textures. It remains a popular and frequently performed work in the string quintet repertoire.

More....