Britten avoided musical nationalism and folk music influences, instead profiting from a wider European tradition, and is seen as following a path mapped out by Mahler.
Performer Biography
Jaap van Zweden, the conductor on this album, began his tenure as music director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012 and also serves as music director of the New York Philharmonic.
Composer Biography
Benjamin Britten, born in 1913 in Lowestoft, England, showed early musical gifts and studied with Frank Bridge before attending the Royal College of Music.
Performer Biography
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is considered one of Asia's leading orchestras and was the first in Asia to win the prestigious Gramophone magazine Orchestra of the Year Award in 2019.
Composer Biography
Britten's work was deeply influenced by his friendship and constant companionship with the singer Peter Pears, for whom he wrote many principal operatic roles.
Historical Context
Britten and Peter Pears, both pacifists, returned to England in 1942 during World War II, rejecting military service to give concerts and recitals, often in difficult circumstances.
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