Composer

:

Benjamin Britten

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Nocturne

Compose Date

:

1958

Average_duration

:

27:47

Movement_count

:

8

Movement ....

Benjamin Britten's 'Nocturne, Op. 60' is a song cycle for tenor voice, seven obbligato instruments, and strings. It was composed in 1958 and premiered on June 17, 1958, at the Aldeburgh Festival, with Peter Pears as the tenor soloist and the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer. The cycle consists of eight movements, each setting a different poem by various poets, including William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and W.H. Auden. The poems are linked by the theme of night and dreams, and the music reflects the mood and atmosphere of each poem. The first movement, "On a Poet's Lips I Slept," is a setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It features a solo flute and harp, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The second movement, "Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep," sets a poem by Tennyson and features a solo cello, representing the deep sea. The third movement, "Encintured with a Twine of Leaves," sets a poem by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. It features a solo horn and strings, creating a pastoral atmosphere. The fourth movement, "Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting," sets a poem by Thomas Lovell Beddoes and features a solo clarinet, representing the sound of the bell. The fifth movement, "But that Night When on My Bed I Lay," sets a poem by Robert Bridges and features a solo viola, creating a melancholic atmosphere. The sixth movement, "She Sleeps on Soft, Last Breaths," sets a poem by Auden and features a solo trumpet, representing the breath of the sleeping woman. The seventh movement, "What Time She Wept in Secret," sets a poem by Wordsworth and features a solo oboe, creating a mournful atmosphere. The final movement, "I Have Trod the Upward and the Downward Slope," sets a poem by Edward FitzGerald and features all the instruments, creating a triumphant and celebratory atmosphere. Overall, 'Nocturne, Op. 60' is a hauntingly beautiful and evocative work, showcasing Britten's mastery of orchestration and his ability to capture the essence of poetry in music.

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