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Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) Symphonic Suites: Gloriana, Op.52a () [27:06] (The Tournament [4:36]; The Lute Song [5:13]; The Courtly Dances: I – March [0:52]; II – Coranto [1:22]; III – Pavane [2:45]; IV – Morris Dance [1:05]; V – Galliard [2:00]; VI – Lavolta [1:25]; VII – March [0:57]; Gloriana Moritura [6:51]) Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes, Op.33 [24:29] (I – Dawn [4:00]; II – Sunday Morning [3:59]; III – Moonlight [4:26]; IV – Storm [4:25]; Passacaglia [7:38]) Sinfonia da Requiem, Op.20 [20:17] (I – Lacrymosa [8:46]; II – Dies Irae [5:23]; III – Requiem Aeternam [6:08]) London Symphony Orchestra/Steuart Bedford Recorded in Abbey Studio 1, London, 15-17 July 1989 DDD NAXOS 8.557196 [72.03]

This is another excellent Britten disc from Steuart Bedford and the LSO on Naxos. The opera Gloriana was written for Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. The opera is based on Lytton’s Strachey’s Elizabeth and Essex, in which Queen Elizabeth is bound by duty to condemn a favourite of hers, the Earl of Essex, to death for his treasonable actions. The orchestral suite was arranged from the opera by Britten with the help of Imogen Holst. The opening movement, The Tournament depicts Essex’s jealousy of a fellow courtier - a contestant in the tournament, by the name of Lord Mountjoy. This is suitably jazzy, energetic and vivacious, with good dynamic ranges and a beautiful clarity, although I felt it could have been a little more snappy. The second movement - Lute Song (a lute song sung to the Queen by Essex) - is delightfully sensitive, graceful and elegant. The Courtly Dances present a range of dramatic music in an "older style", which shows off both Britten’s mastery of composition and Bedford’s consummate musicianship – from the raucous rushings of the Lavolta and courtly niceties of the second March to the chilling nervousness of the Morris Dance. The final movement of the suite, Gloriana Moritura, portrays the Queen facing her own impending death, and contains gorgeously bold and dramatic, cinematic statements. The Four Sea Interludes are scintillating depictions of the sea in all its glory – the Storm is particularly good in its very controlled opening build-up from threatening waves to a fully-blown wild and tempestuous storm. In the ensuing Passacaglia Bedford creates a good sense of menace. The Sinfonia da Requiem opens with a stark, bleak, chilling and dramatic Lacrymosa, before a restless and brilliant Dies Irae – a "Dance of Death" as Britten called it. The work has a serene and radiantly beautiful ending in its Requiem Aeternam, expertly conveyed by Bedford and the LSO. Em Marshall     We are currently offering in excess of 51,000 reviews Advertising on Musicweb Donate and keep us afloat   New Releases Nimbus Podcast Obtain 10% discount Special offer 50% off 15CDs £83 incl. postage Musicweb sells the following labels Acte Préalable (THE Polish label) Altus 10% off Atoll 10% off CRD 10% off Hallé 10% off Lyrita 10% off Nimbus 10% off Nimbus Alliance Prima voce 10% off Red Priest 10% off Retrospective 10% off Saydisc 10% off Sterling 10% off Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to our free weekly review listing sample Sample: See what you will get Editorial Board MusicWeb International Founding Editor    Rob Barnett Editor in Chief John Quinn Seen & Heard Editor Emeritus    Bill Kenny MusicWeb Webmaster    David Barker Postmaster Jonathan Woolf MusicWeb Founder    Len Mullenger

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