#Tenor board summary writer skin#

“I first met Dennis in the summer of 1942. In his memorial tribute to Brain (1921- 1957), the composer wrote:

The Serenade, written early in 1943 for Pears and the horn virtuoso Dennis Brain, consists of six songs which are enclosed by a prologue and epilogue in which the solo horn plays on natural harmonics, a daring move by the composer, since the ear can easily be fooled into regarding the per- former’s intonation as being suspect. Whether or not Britten had become a more “English” composer during his self- imposed exile, there could be little doubt that he had become a master of his craft, as witness the Serenade, to be followed a year later by his greatest operatic success, Peter Grimes. When, however, Britten and Pears arrived back in England they found relatively little antagonism, and once officially registered as conscientious objectors both were able to pursue their careers, often jointly – Britten was a superb pianist – by giving recitals (which the government regarded as “morale-raising”) in churches and public buildings throughout the country.

#Tenor board summary writer skin#

was at the time committed to a pacifist policy regarding the “troubles” in Europe.įascinating as the American years are, our subject here is music Britten created upon his return home in 1942, a move prompted by various unpleasant events, among them the failure with both the press and public of his and Auden’s “operetta” (as they called it) Paul Bunyan, and increasing criticism in the British press of Britten’s avoidance of his homeland during a time of national crisis, culminating in a reference by the editor of Musical Times to “saving one’s art and one’s skin at the cost of failure to do one’s duty.” Next came a de facto ban on Britten’s music by the hitherto sympathetic BBC. had enthusiastically received Britten’s music (Aaron Copland proved particularly helpful in this respect) and the U.S. Auden and Christopher Isherwood had already departed for America the U.S. Their reasons for departing were at least twofold: the feeling on Britten’s part that his music was not appreciated at home and both men’s certainty that Britain would soon become involved in a war to which they were opposed. Benjamin Britten and the tenor Peter Pears, his lover, lifelong companion, and musical inspiration, left England for the United States early in 1939, with no definite plans to return.