Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1949

Average_duration

:

11:06

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

Flower Songs (5), Op. 47 is a choral work composed by Benjamin Britten in 1950. The piece was premiered on July 15, 1950, at the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk, England. The work consists of five movements, each of which is based on a different flower. The first movement, "To Daffodils," is a lively and joyful setting of Robert Herrick's poem about the beauty and transience of daffodils. The music is characterized by its bright, energetic rhythms and playful use of vocal harmonies. The second movement, "The Succession of the Four Sweet Months," is a setting of a poem by Robert Bridges that celebrates the changing seasons and the beauty of nature. The music is more contemplative and introspective than the first movement, with a slower tempo and more complex harmonies. The third movement, "Marsh Flowers," is a setting of a poem by George Crabbe that describes the beauty and fragility of flowers that grow in marshy areas. The music is characterized by its haunting, ethereal quality, with long, sustained vocal lines and a sense of mystery and wonder. The fourth movement, "The Evening Primrose," is a setting of a poem by John Clare that describes the delicate beauty of the evening primrose. The music is characterized by its gentle, lilting rhythms and delicate vocal harmonies, which evoke the fragility and ephemeral nature of the flower. The final movement, "Ballad of Green Broom," is a lively and energetic setting of a traditional English folk song about a young woman who falls in love with a man who is a skilled broom maker. The music is characterized by its lively rhythms and playful use of vocal harmonies, which evoke the joy and exuberance of the young woman's love. Overall, Flower Songs (5), Op. 47 is a beautiful and evocative choral work that celebrates the beauty and transience of nature. Britten's use of vocal harmonies and rhythms is masterful, and the piece is a testament to his skill as a composer.

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