Sir Lennox Berkeley, the composer, attended Gresham's School in Norfolk, the same school as Benjamin Britten, W. H. Auden, and Stephen Spender.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Lennox Berkeley generally adhered to the 'high art of opera,' avoiding operetta or music theatre, though his work 'A Dinner Engagement' contains a 'Gilbert and Sullivan element' of wit.
Recording & Production
All three of the Lennox Berkeley one-act operas on this album were recorded from BBC radio transmissions by Richard Itter, the founder of Lyrita Records.
Composer Biography
Lennox Berkeley studied in Paris from 1926 to 1932, where he befriended and was influenced by composers like Honegger, Roussel, Poulenc, Milhaud, and Stravinsky.
Composition History
Lennox Berkeley's operatic works, including the three one-act operas on this album, were written in the second half of his life, between the ages of 51 and 64.
Composer Biography
Lennox Berkeley taught at the Royal Academy from 1946 to 1968, where his students included notable composers such as John Tavener, Richard Rodney Bennett, Nicholas Maw, and David Bedford.
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