Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Theme & Variations

Compose Date

:

1946

Average_duration

:

17:32

Movement_count

:

26

Movement ....

The "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34" is a composition by Benjamin Britten, which was composed in 1945. The piece was commissioned by the British Ministry of Education for an educational film called "The Instruments of the Orchestra." The premiere of the piece was on October 15, 1946, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, conducted by the composer himself. The composition is divided into 13 movements, each of which highlights a different section of the orchestra. The piece begins with a theme based on a melody from the Rondeau movement of Henry Purcell's "Abdelazer Suite." The theme is then presented in turn by each section of the orchestra, starting with the woodwinds and ending with the percussion. Each section is introduced with a short variation on the theme, which showcases the unique characteristics of the instruments in that section. The first movement features the full orchestra playing the theme, followed by the woodwinds playing a variation. The second movement features the strings playing a variation, followed by the brass in the third movement. The fourth movement features the percussion, and the fifth movement features the harp. The sixth movement features the woodwinds again, this time with a focus on the piccolo and flutes. The seventh movement features the brass again, this time with a focus on the trumpets. The eighth movement features the strings again, this time with a focus on the violins. The ninth movement features the timpani, and the tenth movement features the percussion again, this time with a focus on the snare drum. The eleventh movement features the full orchestra playing a fugue based on the theme. The twelfth movement features a slow variation on the theme, and the thirteenth movement features a fast variation on the theme, bringing the piece to a rousing conclusion. The "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" is a masterpiece of orchestration, showcasing the unique characteristics of each section of the orchestra. The piece is also a tribute to Henry Purcell, one of Britain's greatest composers, and his influence on British music. The piece has become a staple of the orchestral repertoire and is often used as an educational tool to introduce young people to the world of classical music.

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