It was also a tribute to Dmitri Shostakovich, who introduced the two men at … Playful Pizzicato (03:15)3. I had the pleasure of contributing program notes for the Jacksonville Symphony's Encore magazine for a couple of seasons ... BRITTEN • Simple Symphony, Op. The WHCO presents an afternoon of great 20th and 21st century music for strings, featuring music by Michael Torke, Anna Clyne, Benjamin Britten and Erich Korngold. Page 1. Britten later entered the Royal College of Music in 4. It was refreshing to hear it instead of the usual orchestral fare. Go to the iTunes Store and download Simple Symphony for String Orchestra, Op. NOTES ON THE PROGRAM BY LAURIE SHULMAN, ©2018 2018 Winter Festival America, Inspiring: Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony ONE-MINUTE NOTES Britten: Simple Symphony. For this final disc in the series, the Emperor Quartet have gathered five works from the composer's earliest period, from the String Quartet in F, by a fourteen-year old schoolboy, to the Simple Symphony, composed six years later and the work which may be regarded as his breakthrough. Frolicsome Finale (Maggini Quartet) This work was a very youthful production, and used music he’d written since he was a child, but at the same time, was pointing ahead what would be the consummate mastery of this master of English composition. Britten’s career gathered steam in 1932 when a prize-winning Phantasy for string quartet led to his first professional performance. His earliest exposure to music came from his mother, who was an amateur singer. Program Notes Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft, England, on November 22, 1913 - St. Cecilia's Day. History; Structure; Music; See also; References; External links; History. Program Notes. Composed in America during the war, this concerto is played without pause. Click to review. Listening Activity: Russia and Shostakovich. Principal Guest Conductor Daniel Hege returns to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center stage for Folk Dances: “London” Symphony! The symphony is in three movements played without a break, and a performance usually lasts around 20 minutes. Britten's analysis, quoted in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra 's program notes, reads: Lacrymosa. A slow marching lament in a persistent 6/8 rhythm with a strong tonal center on D. 4. Hankin Booby. Later, he was proud enough of his youthful work not only to keep it but also to adapt some of it into a mature composition. Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–75) began piano lessons when he was eight years old and entered music school at age 13. Program Notes Benjamin Britten: Simple Symphony Benjamin Britten was a prominent English composer who wrote a wide range of works from numerous operas and orchestral works to chamber and solo repertoire. Sergey Prokofiev (1891 –1953) Piano Concerto No. A prodigy, he was nonetheless given an admirable musical education, culminating in his graduation from the Royal College of Music when he was only nineteen, with a modest scholarship enabling him to study abroad for a year. Britten began studying music from a young age and at the age of twelve, he began to study with composer Frank Bridge. The Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (Los Angeles) Pärt composed this work in 2008, on a commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Canberra International Music Festival/Ars Musica Australis. This concert is presented by the Whitaker Foundation. 3, “Rhenish” Program notes. This Simple Symphony is entirely based on material from works which the composer wrote between the ages of nine and twelve. BRITTEN Simple Symphony, Op. A welcome message from the Conservatorium Director. $1.00. Notice the timpani’s rhythmic pattern in the first movement and the passacaglia that concludes the concerto. Russia is the largest country in the world and is the birthplace of many of the world’s most beloved writers, painters, and composers. PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. Britten’s Simple Symphony—which is not, as Butterman said in spoken program notes, all that simple to play—is infrequently played on symphony programs. It was refreshing to hear it instead of the usual orchestral fare. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–91. Ankush Kumar Bahl takes the podium for the first time as Music Director of the Omaha Symphony, and critically acclaimed jazz pianist Aaron Diehl joins the orchestra for a performance of Gershwin’s glorious and jocular Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra. This free concert is available through July 3. Violin Viola Cello Bass. The suite is the first large work Britten composed originally for orchestra since A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1946). NWS thanks its 2020-21 donors. Live. 7x10 inches. Download high resolution audio files from Norwegian 2L in stereo 96kHz, 192kHz, DXD, DSD and 5.1 surround. Divertimento no. The Simple Symphony cataloged as Britten’s Opus 4 had its roots in his juvenilia. 18'. All the latest news, reviews, pictures and video on culture, the arts and entertainment. But first, to open the concert, is a work by Britten (1913-76), one of the predominant English composers of his time, marking the start of his career and the beginning of his fascination with childhood and youth. 5. Hankin Booby. Britten was primarily a pianist, but also played the viola from an early age and was quite accomplished on the instrument. Britten Herbert Howells (1892-1983) “Elegy” for Viola, String Quartet and String Orchestra Maggie Snyder, viola Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Simple Symphony, Op. Shop and Buy Simple Symphony, Op. The trio section makes effective use of an irregular phrase structure (i.e., empty bars shape the gestures into three-bar groups). Its material is derived from a 1924 Scherzo for piano and a song that apparently dates from later in that same year. Tickets no longer available online. Work composed: 1787 Most recent Oregon Symphony performance: November 16, 1998; James DePreist, conductor Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings Opening the program is Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony, an utterly charming string-orchestra work created from fragments of his youthful compositions. Screenshot: Charles Wetherbee sports the Boulder Phil’s custom face mask. The predominantly cheerful opening movement reflects his pleasure in the Mediterranean environs. 2 “London!” Bartok – Romanian Folk Dances Vaughan Williams – Tuba Concerto Britten – Simple Symphony The first movement is especially cheeky thanks to its light articulation. Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. Simple Symphony for String Orchestra (or String Quartet) Chester Music 4 sheet music. First performance: November 1948, (The actual sources are given in footnotes to each movement.) Entitled A Simple Symphony ( 193 3 -34), the work contains the irresistible charm of 3. But even more pointedly, this program … Hunt the squirrel. Playful Pizzicato by Benjamin Britten arranged by Cheryl The Goat for … January 31, 2019 Program Notes: Benjamin Britten Born November 22, 1913, in Lowestoft, England; died December 4, 1975, in Aldeburgh, England Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. Soloist: Hannah Shin. A program note tells us that he was an occasional collaborator with the composer and conducted Britten's operas "throughout the world, including the world premiere of Death in Venice in 1973." Felix Mendelssohn began his Symphony No. the entire Simple Symphony, Op. Britten: Simple Symphony, op. Prominent in this popular britten simple symphony score is 8 notes which sound familiar as echoing the opening of “Barwick Green” the britten simple symphony score music to the long-running BBC Radio 4 everyday story of country folk, “The Archers”, written in … Peter Grimes Program Notes Duration: 20 minutes Simple Symphony Benjamin Britten Completed by the time he turned twenty and first performed in 1934, the symphony for string orchestra is as Britten notes ‘entirely based on material from works which the composer wrote between the ages of twelve and nine.’ The work A Sinfonietta from the same year became his official Opus 1. The Simple Symphony is one of Britten’s earliest mature works. 5 in E minor, Op. Currently resides in Berlin, Germany. The recently formed ensemble included a virtuoso string section, whose skills Elgar very intentionally put on … Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Benjamin Britten : BRITTEN: Simple Symphony¦JANACEK: Suite¦ CD at the best online prices at eBay! Each is actually based on two songs, either collected at the beginning of the century, or found in the venerable Playford 's Dancing Master. 4. Simple Symphony. BENJAMIN BRITTEN / Simply Symphony, Op. In 1933, at the young age of 20, Mr. Britten began composing Simple Symphony by mining compositions that he created as a youth between the ages of 9 and 12. In 1930 he gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied composition with John Ireland and piano with Arthur Benjamin. 4 I. Boisterous Bourrée ities of instrumental color and texture, II. Benjamin Britten Simple Symphony, Op. 4 also in 1830 during an extended stay in Italy. Britten: Violin Concerto. Stephanie Childress, conductor (SLSO conducting debut). 6:48. Schumann: Symphony No. 4 (recorded 1939); Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge Op. Elgar’s Symphony No. Although England’s preeminent composer during the middle of the 20th century, Britten was rather a loner and an independent man. Contents. Overture to Don Giovanni. 4 (16′) Antonín Dvořák: Serenade for Strings, B. He also leads the California Symphony’s ground-breaking music education course for adults Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed. PAUL PHILLIPS is the Gretchen B. Kimball Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, where he conducts the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Philharmonia.In July 2021, he conducts the Stanford Summer Symphony in a program of music by Gustav Holst, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Jessie Montgomery, and Antonin Dvorak, and in November, … Haydn Symphony No. A new season beckons and we greet it with a program of delicious works by Adams, Gershwin, Still, and Beethoven. Study score. Program Thursday, May 29, 2014, at 8:00 Friday, May 30, 2014, at 1:30 Jaap van Zweden Conductor alisa Weilerstein Cello Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 21:19. Program Notes. 20, for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. The United Kingdom has always had a particular place in the world of western classical music. This exciting program features fiery works such as Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto, featuring Principal Tuba – Jarrod Robertson, Britten’s Simple Symphony, and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. Sentimental Sarabande (6:37)4. (HL.14042043). Benjamin Britten. During his years at school he wrote incessantly—sonatas, symphonies, songs, chamber music—and a consider- 4 (1934) 1913-1976Boisterous Bourrée Playful Pizzicato Sentimental Sarabande Frolicsome Finale. Enjoy the music! At 15, he began private study with Frank Bridge, who broadened Britten’s musical horizons and instilled in him a meticulous attention to the craft of composition. Britten attracted wide attention when he conducted the premiere of his Simple Symphony in 1934. Benjamin Britten was born on November 22, 1913, in Lowestoft, United Kingdom. 4 (1933 – 1934) – Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976) In the early 20th century Benjamin Britten seems a model British middle class boy, enjoying cricket and making steady progress in school. It was composed while Mahler was second conductor at the Leipzig Opera, Germany.Although in his letters Mahler almost always referred to the work as a symphony, the first two performances described it as a symphonic poem and … 22 (27′) This program is made possible by the the Mary E. Whitaker Symphony Endowment Fund, the Loynd Family Fund, and the Av and Janet Posner Fund for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. Screenshot: Charles Wetherbee sports the Boulder Phil’s custom face mask. Program Notes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio and Fugue, K. 546 (1788) The Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546, is a composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Britten began to compose at seven years of age. Symphony No. Benjamin Britten, in full Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten Of Aldeburgh, (born November 22, 1913, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England—died December 4, 1976, Aldeburgh, Suffolk), leading British composer of the mid-20th century, whose operas were considered the finest English operas since those of Henry Purcell in the 17th century. Download and print in PDF or MIDI free sheet music for Simple Symphony Ii. 10 (recorded 1938) / Vaughan Williams: Concerto Accademico In D Minor (recorded 1939); Fant - CD - Import - **Excellent Condition** - RARE. 3. Download and print in PDF or MIDI free sheet music for Simple Symphony I. Boisterous Bourrée by Benjamin Britten arranged by Cheryl The Goat for Violin, Cello, Viola, Contrabass (String Quintet) 3 in C, Op. BENJAMIN BRITTEN - Boyd Neel Conducts Britten: Simple Symphony Op. Though his initial works were met with mixed reviews, the success of his opera Peter Grimes put him on the international map. 26. 4 also in 1830 during an extended stay in Italy. Program Notes Duration: 20 minutes Simple Symphony Benjamin Britten Completed by the time he turned twenty and first performed in 1934, the symphony for string orchestra is as Britten notes ‘entirely based on material from works which the composer wrote between the ages of twelve and nine.’ The work Program notes written by Choral student Danielle Ragsdale. Britten: Simple Symphony, Op. Britten based his Simple Symphony on piano pieces and songs that he wrote aged 9 to 12. This Simple Symphony is entirely based on material from works which the composer wrote between the ages of nine and twelve. Playful Pizzicato III. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese government to mark Emperor Jimmu's 2600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire (taken to be 11 February 660 BCE from birth of Emperor Jimmu). For the JACKSONVILLE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. Such was the young Britten’s precociousness that even his earliest works could provide ample material for this alliteratively titled later one. He was also an outstanding pianist and conductor. Program Notes Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten, born 1913 and died 1976 in Suffolk, was an English composer, pianist, and conductor. Set of parts. Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Program Notes. Although the development of these themes is in many places quite new, there are large stretches of the work which are taken bodily from the early pieces - save for the re-scoring for strings. The SLSO’s new Assistant Conductor draws on her British homeland in a program bursting with color. Program Notes Simple Symphony, Op. Benjamin Britten: Simple Symphony Program note by Andrew J. Kim Benjamin Britten was a prominent English composer who wrote a wide range of works from numerous operas and orchestral works to chamber and solo repertoire. Entitled A Simple Symphony (1933-1934), the work contains the irresistible charm of youth projected as an array of musical colors that, although combined in a relatively sophisticated manner, retain at least the impression of innocence. He began composing his first 3 for Solo Cello. Many know Britten’s operas and Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, but he wrote prodigiously in many forms. A first-rate performance of the first movement of Britten’s Simple Symphony. 1 charts many moods, but it never loses the simple nobility and sincerity of the opening. NWS welcomes back alumnus Jonathan Fischer, now Principal Oboe of the Houston Symphony, for an intimate concert of chamber music. The predominantly cheerful opening movement reflects his pleasure in the Mediterranean environs. PROGRAM NOTES by Phillip Huscher Arvo Pärt Born September 11, 1935, Paide, Estonia. There is something so refreshing about this piece and how he expresses and develops these juvenile themes through the medium of a string orchestra. We invite you to join us in this evaluation of future consumer delivery formats. Posted by riphil April 20, 2021 April 21, 2021 Posted in Program Notes Leave a comment on THE STORY BEHIND: Britten’s “Simple Symphony” THE STORY BEHIND: Purcell’s Chacony in G minor On May 1, Bramwell Tovey and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present their thirteenth concert of the 2020/2021 Season. 1 in D major, K. 136 / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Simple symphony / Benjamin Britten -- Music for strings / Quincy Porter -- Rounds / David Diamond -- Rumanian folk dances / Béla Bartók Felix Mendelssohn began his Symphony No. 2 “London!” Bartok – Romanian Folk Dances Vaughan Williams – Tuba Concerto Britten – Simple Symphony It was refreshing to hear it instead of the usual orchestral fare. Dr. Beth. Programme music or program music is a type of instrumental art music that attempts to render an extra-musical narrative musically. In her KC Symphony debut, she plays Mozart’s brooding and profound c minor concerto, with a slow movement that is a miraculous example of stillness in motion. 4. 4 Benjamin Britten Born November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft Died December 4, 1976 in Aldeburgh Britten, the son of musical parents, began his music studies at home and composed his first works at the age of five. At eleven, he attracted the attention of the composer Frank Bridge, with whom he studied for six years. 20, for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. Hunt the squirrel. 1 in D major by Gustav Mahler was mainly composed between late 1887 and March 1888, though it incorporates music Mahler had composed for previous works. Full credits. Duration; ca. Here, we have a most interesting evolution: a set of very simple… It was written between December 1933 and February 1934 in Lowestoft, using bits of score that the composer had written for the piano as a young teenager, between 1923 and 1926. But then back to England. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Simple Symphony At the age of twenty, perhaps feeling nostalgic, Britten set about recasting a handful of old piano tunes and song melodies from his pre-teen years into a four-movement work for string orchestra. Simple Symphony score.qxp. 4, is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten. Program: Britten - Simple Symphony Mozart - Violin Concerto No. Britten composed “Simple Symphony” between 1933-34, basing it on materials he had written between 1923-26 (ages 10-13). MQA and FLAC are lossless encodings derived directly from our original production masters. His experience writing for voice is evident—sometimes searingly so—in the violin line. Having spent the 1933 Christmas holiday sorting through pieces written in his childhood and teenage years, he combined eight themes from those into the finished work. Britten’s Simple Symphony—which is not, as Butterman said in spoken program notes, all that simple to play—is infrequently played on symphony programs. 6 “Le matin Britten Simple Symphony Bach Orchestral Suite No. 0:00 / 2:09. She leads works including Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony, Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings, and the first SLSO performances of Sally Beamish’s The Day Dawn. It was composed for string orchestra and received its first performance in 1934 at Stuart Hall in Norwich, with Britten conducting an amateur orchestra. 3 in C Major, Op. SIMPLE SYMPHONY, OP. 2 “London!” 18/01/2010. Britten’s Simple Symphony—which is not, as Butterman said in spoken program notes, all that simple to play—is infrequently played on symphony programs. Free shipping for many products! Benjamin Britten’s drive to compose surfaced at an early age. Composed December 1933 - February 1934, Britten's Simple Symphony was based on material he wrote between the ages of nine and twelve. 4, is a work for string orchestra or string quartet by Benjamin Britten. Program Annotator Scott Foglesong is the Chair of Musicianship and Music Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Contributing Writer and Lecturer for the San Francisco Symphony. 4 When most classical music lovers think of the English composer Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), it is for his educational Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. PROGRAM Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Chacony in G minor ed. 4 "Italian" This program celebrates some of our favorite composers—composers known for their impressive contributions to music at astonishingly young ages – by presenting some of their early works. 52, op. Snow, snow, and more snow! 33a Composed: Britten composed the opera, Peter Grimes, from which Four Sea Interludes are drawn between 1944 and 1945. Item Number: HL.14037663. Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. Opening the program is Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony, an utterly charming string-orchestra work created from fragments of his youthful compositions. 10 into his 1934 Simple Symphony. 4. Simple Symphony for String Orchestra I. Boisterous Bourrée Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten was born in the county of Suf-folk, England, on November 22, 1913, and died at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, on December 4, 1976. In the Queen’s Birthday Honors of June 12, 1976, he had been named Baron Britten … 26. First printing. 5. Program Notes. Maestro Tom Morgan entitled this opening concert Britten & Beyond, because the program featured the music of Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976) and the music of Arvo Pärt (b. The Simple Symphony is a charming example of a 21-year-old’s confident technique and unerring taste. 4: IV. At the age of 20, Britten chose several snippets from piano pieces and songs he had written earlier — at age 12 or younger — and reworked them into the Simple Symphony for strings. Mozart: Don Giovanni Overture Britten: Les illuminations Grieg: Peer Gynt Return to concert page . The suite is the first large work Britten composed originally for orchestra since A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1946). 64. Program Planner. The program includes evocative works by University of Miami’s Valerie Coleman, Felix Mendelssohn, Benjamin Britten and more. Explore. As a result, a few questions and comments arose on various websites about the use of this music for dance. bradley symphony center | a season to make the wait worthwhile. The orchestra, conducted by Dr. Bruce Briney, performs selections that are bright, joyful and uplifting. Stephanie Childress takes the Powell Hall podium for the first time in this digital concert. —adapted from a program note by Jane Vial Jaffe and used by permission of the Aspen Music Festival Benjamin Britten (1913—1976) Simple Symphony, Opus 4 Benjamin Britten began to compose almost as soon as he could hold a pen in his hand. 3. The Simple Symphony, Op. 1934). Screenshot: Charles Wetherbee sports the Boulder Phil’s custom face mask. BY MARK ARNEST Concert overview: The title “Highs and Lows” could refer to the pieces’ comparative registers – ranging from the floating melodic art of Fratres, to the deep notes of Landskap. 0:00. ). Each is actually based on two songs, either collected at the beginning of the century, or found in the venerable Playford 's Dancing Master. Program Notes. 41. For string quartet. 4 by Benjamin Britten or listen to one minute clips from this site: (Britten had cited Mahler's Eighth in 1943 as his favorite work, and possibly took further inspiration for the War Requiem from the collossal forces required to perform that so-called "Symphony of a Thousand"). The Quincy Symphony Orchestra throws open the door for New Beginnings. About. Duration: ca. BENJAMIN BRITTEN Simple Symphony SALLY BEAMISH The Day Dawn ANTONÍN DVORÁK Serenade for Strings. Symphony No. Britten, Benjamin: Suite No. The work has a simple lyricism that contrasts with much of the composer's music. ISBN 9781849386869. ... Each concert includes program notes and an introduction by Denève, Childress, or SLSO musicians. Britten: Simple Symphony, op. Max Richter’s transformation of Vivaldi’s beloved The Seasons has all the flavor of the original, but with added spice that transforms the experience into something altogether new and exciting. Masterworks Season Finale Livestream – Program Notes Posted on: April 7th, 2021 by Racine Symphony Orchestra No Comments Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten (1977) – Arvo Pärt (1935 – ) Although there is no compositional school that follows him and he does not teach, Arvo Pärt’s impact on the music of today is profound. As Ms. Childress notes in her introductory comments, the common thread among the three works is childhood. It was written between December 1933 and February 1934 in Lowestoft. Lord Melbourne. About. Six Metamorphoses after Ovid (Op. This exciting program features fiery works such as Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto, featuring Principal Tuba – Jarrod Robertson, Britten’s Simple Symphony, and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. Introduction and Allegro, Elgar Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for string orchestra was written for a concert of the composer’s music given by the London Symphony in 1905. TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. Poland’s Witold Lutosławski was also born in 1913. Benjamin BRITTEN Simple Symphony Sally BEAMISH The Day Dawn (First SLSO performances) Antonín DVOŘÁK Serenade for Strings. 5 Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 49) is a piece of program music for solo oboe written by English composer Benjamin Britten in 1951.. Simple Symphony, Op. At 17, Britten entered the Royal College of Music, where he studied composition with John Ireland. 18'. Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony presents melodies he composed as a child, and develops them into a coherent whole. 4 Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) View Program Notes Simple Symphony, Op. The third cello suite of Benjamin Britten – like the Sonata in C for cello and piano, the ‘Cello Symphony’, and the first two cello suites – was written for Britten’s friend Mstislav Rostropovich. Benjamin Britten - Chester Music. Program. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese government to mark Emperor Jimmu's 2600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire (taken to be 11 February 660 BCE from birth of Emperor Jimmu). Though his initial works were met with mixed reviews, the success of his opera Peter Grimes put him on the international map. Britten Simple Symphony, op. Program Thursday, May 29, 2014, at 8:00 Friday, May 30, 2014, at 1:30 Jaap van Zweden Conductor alisa Weilerstein Cello Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. •. This is one of his most-often performed works. Friday, April 9, 2021, 7:30pm Saturday, April 10, 2021, 7:30pm Sunday, April 11, 3:00pm. Lord Melbourne. Boisterous Bourrée (00:08)2. As you might have noted, Britten composed quite a lot of string music. Simple Strings Torke, Clyne, Britten & Korngold 3:00pm Saturday, March 23, 2019 Strings of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra Chris Whittaker, Conductor. The Simple Symphony was written in Lowestoft, when Britten was twenty and had completed his final term at the Royal College of Music. At the age of 20, perhaps feeling nostalgic, Britten set about recasting a handful of old piano tunes and song melodies from his pre-teen years into a four-movement work for string orchestra. $1.20. Each movement is a delightful, transparent miniature touched with humor. This exciting program features fiery works such as Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto, featuring Principal Tuba – Jarrod Robertson, Britten’s Simple Symphony, and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. Reviews. 4 | RAVEL • Le tombeau de Couperin | TCHAIKOVSKY • Romeo and Juliet. BENJAMIN BRITTEN Born Nov. 22, 1913, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England Died Dec. 4, 1976, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England Simple Symphony, for String Orchestra, Opus 4 Like Lutoslawski, Britten was born a century ago, in 1913. The piece is dedicated to Audrey Alston, Britten… Program Notes by Paul Hyde-----‘Simple Symphony” Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) British composer Benjamin Britten prefaces his 1934 score with this message: “The ‘Simple Symphony’ is entirely based on material from works which the composer wrote between the ages of nine and 12. Then, more recently, the Dancing Times carried letters about Walter Gore’s ballet Simple Symphony (danced to the Britten score) with some questions about the date of that production. String Quartet sheet music book by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Chester Music at Sheet Music Plus. (See Berlioz's program at the end of these notes.