Britten In Memoriam Dennis Brain

(arranged by Colin Matthews)

Dennis Brain (1921 – 1957) was a fantastic horn player who significantly raised the standard of horn playing in the twentieth century and was the principal horn player for the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Britten wrote the solo horn part of his famous Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, 1943,for Brain. He was very sad when Brain died aged 36 in a car crash. In 1957, Britten began to write a piece in memory of Brain, but it was never finished

Colin Matthews (English composer, born in 1946, who had worked with Britten) completed the work in 2005.

In Memoriam is scored for four horns and orchestra.

There is a reference to the Serenade at the beginning of In Memoriam.

Listen out for the tubular bells, which create a funereal character.


BENJAMIN BRITTEN 1913 – 1976

A dominating English composer in the twentieth century.

Britten lived in Suffolk for much of his life where he founded the Aldeburgh Festival for promoting new music. Some of Britten’s works are set in Suffolk, for example, the Four Sea Interludes, from Peter Grimes, which depict the East coast of England.

Britten began composing as a child and went on to study composition with Frank Bridge, John Ireland at the Royal College of Music and briefly with Ralph Vaughan Williams.

In 1936, Britten met the tenor Peter Pears who performed many of Britten’s works and became his lifelong partner.

Britten revived British opera – there hadn’t been any prominent British operatic composers since the eighteenth century.

Britten developed a unique musical style, which was more accessible than much of the music being composed at the time and appealed to performers and audiences.

Britten’s personal emotions and ideas are embedded in his music, particularly his homosexuality and pacifist beliefs.