BRITTEN: 100TH BIRTHDAY COLLECTION (10 CDS)

This 10 CD set from Documents is being released to celebrate Britten's work. It includes the composer's legendary 1958 recording of his celebrated opera Peter Grimes as well as classic performances of the Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, the song cycle Les Illuminations, the Sinfonia da Requiem, the Nocturne, the ballet music to The Prince of the Pagodas, and the Ceremony of Carols.

Benjamin Britten's first opera 'Peter Grimes' was a sensational success and marked his international breakthrough as a composer. The London recording of 1958, conducted by Britten himself that appears here, enjoys benchmark status and is regarded as a milestone in the history of the gramophone. As well as Britten's lifelong partner Peter Pears, here to be heard in Schubert's song cycle Die Schöne Müllerin, this selection also features the likes of Herbert von Karajan, the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Dennis Brain.

Personnel: Benjamin Britten (piano, conductor), Peter Pears (tenor), Dennis Brain, Barry Tuckwell (horn), New Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Goossens (conductor), Staatlichen Dänischen Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and others.

Disc: 1
1. Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31, I. Prologue
2. II. Pastoral
3. III. Nocturne
4. IV. Elegy
5. V. Dirge
6. VI. Hymn
7. VII. Sonnet
8. VIII. Epilogue
9. Les Illuminations, Op. 18, I. Fanfare
10. II. Villes
11. Iiia. Phrase
12. Iiib. Antique
13. IV. Royauté
14. V. Marine
15. VI. Interlude
16. VII. Being Beauteous
17. VIII. Parade
18. IX. Départ

Disc: 2
1. Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20, I. Lacrymosa (Andante Ben Misurato). / II. Dies Irae (Allegro Con Fuoco). / III. Requiem Aeternam (Andante Molto Tranquillo)
2. Nocturne for Tenor, 7 Obligato Instruments & Strings Op. 60, I. on a Poet's Lips I Slept
3. II. Below the Thunders Oft He Upper Deep
4. III. Encitured with a Twine of Leaves
5. IV. Midnight's Bell Goes Ting, Ting, Ting
6. V. But That Night When on My Bed I Lay
7. VI. She Sleeps on Soft
8. VII. What Is More Gentle Than a Wind in Summer?
9. VIII. When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See

Disc: 3
1. Peter Grimes, Prologue, Peter Grimes!
2. You Sailed Your Boat Round the Coast
3. Peter Grimes, I Here Advise You!
4. The Truth... the Pity... And the Truth
5. Interlude I: On the Beach
6. Act 1, Scene 1, Oh! Hang at Open Doors the Net, the Cork
7. Hi! Give Us a Hand!
8. I Have to Go from Pub to Pub
9. Let Her Among You Without Fault Cast the First Stone
10. Look, the Storm Cone!
11. And Do You Prefer the Storm
12. What Harbour Shelters Peace
13. Interlude II: The Storm
14. Scene 2, Past Time to Close!
15. We Live and Let Live
16. Have You Heard? the Cliff Is Down
17. Now the Great Bear and Pleiades
18. Old Joe Has Gone Fishing
19. The Bridge Is Down, We Half Swam Over
20. Act 2, Interlude III: Sunday Morning By the Beach
21. Scene 1, Glitter of Waves and Glitter of Sunlight
22. Let This Be a Holiday
23. This Unrelenting Work
24. Fool to Let It Come to This!
25. What Is It?
26. People!... No! I Will Speak!

Disc: 4
1. Peter Grimes, Act 2 Scene 1, We Planned That Their Lives Should Have a New Start
2. Swallow! Shall We Go and See Grimes in His Hut?
3. Now Is Gossip Put on Trial
4. From the Gutter, Why Should We Trouble at Their Ribaldries?
5. Interlude IV: Passacaglia
6. Scene 2, Go There!
7. Now!... Now!
8. Peter Grimes! Nobody Here?
9. Act 3, Interlude V: Evening
10. Scene 1, Assign Your Prettiness to Me
11. Pah! ? Ahoy!
12. Come Along, Doctor!
13. Embroidery in Childhood Was a Luxury of Idleness
14. Mister Swallow! Mister Swallow!
15. Who Holds Himself Apart, Let's His Pride Rise
16. Interlude VI: Fog
17. Scene 2, Grimes! Grimes!
18. Peter, We?Ve Come to Take You Home
19. To Those Who Pass the Borough

Disc: 5
1. Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, D 795, Das Wandern
2. Wohin?
3. Halt!
4. Danksagung An Den Bach
5. Am Feierabend
6. Der Neugierige
7. Ungeduld
8. Morgengruß
9. Des Müllers Blumen
10. Tränenregen
11. Mein!
12. Pause
13. Mit Dem Grünen Lautenbande
14. Der Jäger
15. Eifersucht Und Stolz
16. Die Liebe Farbe
17. Die Böse Farbe
18. Trockne Blumen
19. Der Müller Und Der Bach
20. Des Baches Wiegenlied

Disc: 6
1. Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
2. Diversions for Piano (Left Hand) and Orchestra Op. 21, I. Theme
3. II. Variation I (Recitative)
4. III. Variation II (Romance)
5. IV. Variation III (March)
6. V. Variation IV (Arabesque)
7. VI. Variation V (Chant)
8. VII. Variation VI (Nocturne)
9. VIII. Variation VII (Badinerie)
10. IX. Variation VIII (Burlesque)
11. X. Variation Ixa (Toccata)
12. XI. Variation Ixb (Toccata II)
13. XII. Variation X (Adagio)
14. XIII. Variation XI (Tarantella)

Disc: 7
1. A Ceremony of Carols Op. 28, Procession (Senza Misura)
2. Wolcum Yole! (Allegro Con Brio
3. There Is No Rose (Allegretto)
4. That Yonge Child (Andante Quasi Recitativo)
5. Balulalow (Andante Piacevole)
6. As Dew in Aprille (Allegro)
7. This Little Babe (Presto Con Fuoco)
8. Interlude (Andante Pastorale)
9. In Freezing Winter Night (Andante Comodo)
10. Spring Carol (Allegretto)
11. Deo Gracias (Presto)
12. Recession (Senza Misura)
13. Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 15, I. Moderato Con Moto
14. II. Vivace
15. III. Passacaglia: Andante Lento

Disc: 8
1. Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge Op. 10, I. Introduction and Theme
2. II. Adagio
3. III. March
4. IV. Romance
5. V. Aria Italiana
6. VI. Bourée Classique
7. VII. Wiener Waltz
8. VIII. Moto Perpetuo
9. IX. Funeral March
10. X. Chant
11. XI. Fugue & XII. Finale
12. A Charm of Lullabies Op. 41, I. Cradle Song
13. II. the Highland Bales
14. III. Sephestia's Lullaby
15. IV. a Charm
16. The Nurse's Song

Disc: 9
1. Ballet: The Prince of the Pagodas, Op 57, Act 1, Prelude
2. The Fool and the Dwarf
3. The Emperor
4. Gavotte
5. The Four Kings
6. The King of the North
7. The King of the East
8. The Kong of the West
9. The King of the South
10. Belle Epine
11. Belle Rose
12. The Kings and Belle Rose
13. Triumph of Belle Epine
14. Rage of the Kings
15. The Four Frogs
16. Act 2 - Scene 1, Air
17. Water
18. Fire
19. Act 2 - Scene 2, Belle Rose in Pagoda- Land
20. The Pagodas
21. The Salamander
22. The Prince and Belle Rose

Disc: 10
1. Ballet: The Prince of the Pagodas, Op 57, Act 3 - Scene 1, Belle Epine As Empress
2. The Old Emperor
3. Belle Rose and the Salamander
4. Transition
5. Act 3 - Scene 2, the Pagoda Palace
6. Pas de Six
7. Variation 1
8. Variation 2
9. Variation 3
10. Pas de Trois
11. Pas de Deux
12. Variation 4
13. Variation 5
14. Finale