Britten Conducts Britten [7 CDs] (2007)

performed by Alexander Murray (flute), Barry Tuckwell (horn), Benjamin Britten (piano), Denis Blyth (tympani [timpani]), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Gervase de Peyer (clarinet), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone), Julius Katchen (piano), Mark Lubotsky (violin)
composed by Benjamin Britten

This disc is essentially self-recommending: anyone -- and that means anyone -- with an interest in the orchestral music and song cycles of the great twentieth century English composer Benjamin Britten will have to hear it. Why? Because it contains all the recordings Britten made of these works for Decca between 1954 and his death in 1976, and thereby forms the entire basis of an authentic and authoritative Britten performance practice. A fine conductor of other composers' music -- his Mozart, his Schumann, and especially ... Read More

This disc is essentially self-recommending: anyone -- and that means anyone -- with an interest in the orchestral music and song cycles of the great twentieth century English composer Benjamin Britten will have to hear it. Why? Because it contains all the recordings Britten made of these works for Decca between 1954 and his death in 1976, and thereby forms the entire basis of an authentic and authoritative Britten performance practice. A fine conductor of other composers' music -- his Mozart, his Schumann, and especially his Mahler were full of insight and understanding -- Britten was a great conductor of his own music, combining in his performances the inspiration of creation with the act of re-creation. His awesome Sinfonia da Requiem with the New Philharmonia and his soulful Cello Symphony with Mstislav Rostropovich from 1964 are here, along with his sarcastic Piano Concerto with Sviatoslav Richter and his searing Violin Concerto with Mark Lubotsky from 1970. His whole three-act Prince of the... Read Less