Many people wonder about, question, or critique the choices of the programming on classical music recordings. So, today we would like to give you a very brief explanation of the reasoning behind our choices on Britten’s Orchestra.
Once again, the programming of the album is The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Sinfonia da Requiem, and the Four Sea Interludes & Passacaglia from Peter Grimes.
Benjamin Britten was recognized as the dominant British musical figure of his time. The works represented in this recording were prominent in establishing his reputation in the early years of his creative life; they remain among his most directly appealing and most enduringly popular works, their places in the international repertory more secure than ever as the years pass.
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a virtuoso orchestral spectacular that RR has wanted to record for many years. Sinfonia da Requiem is widely considered to be Britten’s finest orchestral inspiration, full of kaleidoscopic color and wide dynamic range. The music of Peter Grimes, Britten’s operatic masterpiece, is most often heard in the well-known suite of orchestral Sea Interludes and Passacaglia. this is music of haunting atmosphere, and the final Storm brings the program to an exciting conclusion.