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Two Portraits for String Orchestra
Conductor's score and parts on hire
978-0-19-362179-4
17 July 1996
Price: Available on request
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for string orchestra Forces or CategorySolo viola & string orchestraDuration15 minutesDifficultyEasy to Moderately difficultOrchestrationvla solo, strProgramme Notes I. D. Layton (for strings)
II. E.B.B. (for viola solo and strings)
Brittens Two Portraits for strings - the
composer himself called them Sketches - were composed in August and September 1930, during the summer holidays preceding the sixteen-year-old composers first term at the Royal College of Music in London. As their titles (and subtitles) suggest, both are musical depictions of character, the first (Brittens own string instrumentation), is a self-portrait of the composer. According to Brittens diary, he planned to compose a third portrait, again for strings, which was to depict another school friend, Peter Floud, but this movement was not written. However, David Layton was to be portrayed again, though very differently, in Brittens later quartet suite, Alla Quartetto Serioso (1933), itself revised and retitled in 1936 as Three Divertimenti.
As with virtually all the orchestral music
from his youth, Britten did not hear either portrait performed. The first performance of Two Portraits was given by the Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, and broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on 5 December 1995, as part of a series entitled Brittens Apprenticeship. The first concert performance of Portrait No. 1 was given by the Britten Chamber Orchestra conducted by Andreas Mitisek, at the Konzerthaus, Schubert-Saal, Vienna, on 10 February 1996. The first concert performance of Portrait No. 2 was given by Sinfonia 21, conducted by Martyn Brabbins, in February 1996 at St Johns Smith Square, London.
© Donald Mitchell/Philip Reed
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Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft in 1913. Essentially a vocal composer, his operas and song-cycles won wide international acceptance. He had a great interest in writing music for amateurs and children, but also composed works for great performers such as Rostropovich, Fischer-Dieskau and Janet Baker. In 1948 Britten, together with Peter Pears and Eric Crozier founded the Aldeburgh Festival, now one of the most respected establishments for new English music.More on Benjamin Britten from The Britten Estate Ltd
The Britten-Pears Foundation
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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