Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

Sep 8, 1929

Average_duration

:

1:56

"Diaphenia" is a song composed by Benjamin Britten in 1953. It was premiered on 14th October 1953 at the Wigmore Hall in London, with Britten himself accompanying the singer, Peter Pears. The song is part of Britten's song cycle "The Heart of the Matter," which consists of six songs based on poems by John Donne. "Diaphenia" is the second song in the cycle and is based on Donne's poem of the same name. The poem is a pastoral love song, in which the speaker compares his love to the beauty of nature. Britten's setting of the poem is delicate and lyrical, with a simple piano accompaniment that supports the vocal line. The song is in ABA form, with the opening and closing sections featuring the same melody and text. The middle section, marked "più mosso" (more movement), is more dramatic and features a more complex piano accompaniment. The vocal line in this section is more declamatory, with the singer emphasizing the words "O sweetest love" and "O fairest tree." One of the characteristics of Britten's setting of "Diaphenia" is his use of word painting. For example, in the opening phrase, the melody rises on the word "sweet," emphasizing the sweetness of the speaker's love. In the middle section, the piano accompaniment becomes more agitated as the speaker describes the "stormy winds" that threaten to destroy his love. Overall, "Diaphenia" is a beautiful and sensitive setting of Donne's poem. Britten's use of simple melodies and delicate piano accompaniment creates a pastoral atmosphere that perfectly captures the mood of the poem.

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