Edward Gardner conducts Britten

Featuring

Edward Gardner
Nicky Spence
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Britten

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Performer Biography

Nicky Spence, the tenor on this album, was named 'Personality of the Year' by BBC Music Magazine in 2022 and made an OBE in The King's Birthday Honours List 2023.

Composition History

Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem was initially commissioned by the Japanese government in 1939 to mark the 2600th anniversary of the imperial dynasty, but it was rejected due to its 'apparent Christian content'.

Compositional Technique

Britten's ballet, The Prince of the Pagodas, was inspired by Balinese gamelan music, which he encountered firsthand in 1956, providing an 'appropriate aural model for portraying the fantastical and colourful world of 'Pagoda Land''.

Composer Biography

Benjamin Britten, a pacifist, left England for the United States in 1939 with his partner Peter Pears, seeking opportunities away from what he perceived as 'petty jealousies and inhibitions' in his home country.

Recording & Production

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1932, established its own record label in 2005, primarily releasing recordings from live concerts.

Performer Biography

Edward Gardner, the conductor on this album, has been Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2021 and was awarded an OBE for services to music in 2012.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Britten intended the Sinfonia da Requiem to be imbued with a spirit of pacifism, reflecting his and Peter Pears's firmly pacifist views during World War II.