Benjamin Britten was born to an affluent dentist and his mother was the head of the local choral society of Lowestoft in Suffolk. The famous conductor and musician Frank Bridge was made his tutor when his parents found his musical talent. Under the guidance of Frank Bridge, Benjamin’s composing skills excelled. He had his proper education at the Royal College of Music between 1930 and 1933. After graduation he wrote some music for infotainment films like the Sorting Office of the Royal Post Office film company. He was an efficient musician who spent the least amount of money while retaining the greatest effect of musical and color efficiency by using a variety of instruments. He created many musicals of this kind between 1935 and 1938. He was a highly talented British composer of his time. He was amicable with W H Auden and E M Forster which helped and had a significant effect on his musical career. Peter Pears was his lifelong friend from when he met him in 1930. He remained an associate in the personal and professional front. They sang together and Pear’s voice brought out the correct emotions for Britten’s compositions and in 1948 they joined and conducted the Alde burgh Festival. In 1939 Britten shifted to United States and Canada for four years and avoided war. He was a... show more

Benjamin Britten was born to an affluent dentist and his mother was the head of the local choral society of Lowestoft in Suffolk. The famous conductor and musician Frank Bridge was made his tutor when his parents found his musical talent. Under the guidance of Frank Bridge, Benjamin’s composing skills excelled. He had his proper education at the Royal College of Music between 1930 and 1933. After graduation he wrote some music for infotainment films like the Sorting Office of the Royal Post Office film company. He was an efficient musician who spent the least amount of money while retaining the greatest effect of musical and color efficiency by using a variety of instruments. He created many musicals of this kind between 1935 and 1938. He was a highly talented British composer of his time. He was amicable with W H Auden and E M Forster which helped and had a significant effect on his musical career. Peter Pears was his lifelong friend from when he met him in 1930. He remained an associate in the personal and professional front. They sang together and Pear’s voice brought out the correct emotions for Britten’s compositions and in 1948 they joined and conducted the Alde burgh Festival. In 1939 Britten shifted to United States and Canada for four years and avoided war. He was a peace loving person and the war affected him very much. Even after shifting he composed many concertos without respite. The sound of the human voice influenced him and a motivation for him to produce many operas. Sinfonia Da Requiem (1940), the song cycle Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo (1940), and his maiden venture for theatre Paul Bunyan (1940-41) were some of his many operas. The poems of George Crabbe interested Britten to return to England. He composed his triumphant opera Peter Grimes (1944-45) with the sponsor ship of Koussevitzky Commission. This opera brought a change to his line of work. The celebrated composer composed many operas in the following years like Albert Herring (1947), Billy Budd (1951), The Turn of the Screw (1954), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960), Death of Venice (1973) and all these became an everlasting influence to his collection. Because of Benjamin Britten’s international acclaim he was equated with Purcell and was regarded as a
Mastermind after Purcell. He composed many sonnets and symphonies, enormous choral compositions, chamber music, and orchestral music. He composed songs and proverbs of William Blake (1965), The three Cello Suites (1961-1964) and the Cello Symphony (1963) which he wrote for Mstislav Rostropovich and the Third String Quartet.
There came delay in his creativity after he was affected by a stroke which occurred during his heart operation in 1971. But he continued to write songs till 1976 when he passed away. He was considered as a music legend of the twentieth century.
show less