Britten War Requiem [Paperback]

An illuminating study of Britten's War Requiem, examining the composer's treatment of the anti-war poetry of Wilfred Owen.The book examines Britten's War Requiem, written in 1962 to celebrate the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral and uniting the famous anti-war poetry of Wilfred Owen with the Latin Requiem Mass, from various viewpoints. Britten's and Owen's pacifist beliefs are compared, and the chronology of the compositional process unravelled from documentary and manuscript sources. The musical language is analysed in detail, and the fluctuating critical responses to the score are assessed.The book examines Britten's War Requiem, written in 1962 to celebrate the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral and uniting the famous anti-war poetry of Wilfred Owen with the Latin Requiem Mass, from various viewpoints. Britten's and Owen's pacifist beliefs are compared, and the chronology of the compositional process unravelled from documentary and manuscript sources. The musical language is analysed in detail, and the fluctuating critical responses to the score are assessed.The book examines from various viewpoints Britten's War Requiem, written in 1962 to celebrate the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral and uniting the famous anti-war poetry of Wilfred Owen with the Latin Requiem Mass. Britten's and Owen's pacifist beliefs are compared, and the chronology of the compositional process unraveled from documentary and manuscript sources. The musical language is analyzed in detail, and the fluctuating critical responses to the score are assessed.1. Owen, Britten and pacifism; 2. The War Requiem in progress Philip Reed; 3. The musical language: idiom and structure; 4. Critical reception; Appendix; Text; Select bibliography; Index.