Sir Lennox Berkeley, the composer, stood for pure music, avoiding violence, exaggeration, or exotic distractions, and considered Mozart his god.
Composition History
The orchestral suite Mont Juic was a collaboration between Berkeley and Benjamin Britten, based on Catalan folk tunes they heard and wrote down on envelopes.
Composer Biography
Berkeley's legacy extends through his pupils, who include composers David Bedford, Richard Rodney Bennett, William Mathias, Nicholas Maw, John Tavener, and his eldest son Michael.
Composer Biography
Berkeley's background, including his aristocratic family of partly French origin, studies with Nadia Boulanger, and friendships with Ravel, Poulenc, and Britten, influenced his music.
Composition History
Berkeley composed the first two movements of Mont Juic, and Britten composed the last two, though they discussed all movements and Britten wrote the full score.
Historical Context
The Serenade for Strings was composed in the gloomy first months of World War II, between September and November 1939.
Compositional Technique
Berkeley's later style, exemplified in Symphony No. 3, incorporated aspects of serial technique, similar to Copland's approach, to achieve greater urgency without sacrificing lyricism.
