Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction by Peter Dickinson
- Part I Reports from Paris, 1929–34
- Part II Letters to Nadia Boulanger, 1929–74
- Part III Selections from Berkeley's Later Writings and Talks, 1943–82
- Part IV Interviews with Berkeley, 1973–8
- Part V Extracts from Berkeley's Diaries, 1966–82
- Part VI Interviews with Performers, Composers, Family and Friends, 1990–91
- Part VII Memorial Address by Sir John Manduell
- Catalogue of Works
- Bibliography
- Index of Works by Berkeley
- General Index
Part III - Selections from Berkeley's Later Writings and Talks, 1943–82
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction by Peter Dickinson
- Part I Reports from Paris, 1929–34
- Part II Letters to Nadia Boulanger, 1929–74
- Part III Selections from Berkeley's Later Writings and Talks, 1943–82
- Part IV Interviews with Berkeley, 1973–8
- Part V Extracts from Berkeley's Diaries, 1966–82
- Part VI Interviews with Performers, Composers, Family and Friends, 1990–91
- Part VII Memorial Address by Sir John Manduell
- Catalogue of Works
- Bibliography
- Index of Works by Berkeley
- General Index
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Berkeley wrote occasional articles and reviews for newspapers and periodicals, invariably expressed with style and discrimination. This selection starts with Berkeley anxious to share his enthusiasm for Britten's music. Britten had heard early works of Berkeley in London five years before they met. One can understand Britten admiring the objective neo-baroque movements of Berkeley's Suite for oboe and cello, steeped in Bach and so different from the provincial English folksong school. The two composers met in April 1936 when they were both represented in the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival at Barcelona on the eve of the Spanish Civil War. They immediately became close friends and worked together on the orchestral Mont Juic Suite. It was premiered in a BBC broadcast on 8 January 1938. From then onwards Berkeley followed every work of Britten's with the greatest interest, and in 1943 wrote the first article included here, about his String Quartet no. 1. Britten figures prominently in Berkeley's 1949 lectures given in France, which provide a panoramic and judicious survey of British composers at that time; he continued with an article on Britten's Spring Symphony; but I have not included his chapter on the light music written in 1952. As with Boulanger, Berkeley paid tribute to Britten on many occasions – they were the two constants in his professional musical life.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Lennox Berkeley and FriendsWritings, Letters and Interviews, pp. 89 - 90Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2012