Tag Archives: young person’s guide

Benjamin Britten – Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

Recording: Performed by the Youtube Symphony Orchestra 2011 (17′)

Britten, from Britain, was one of the greatest 20th century composers around WWII, and he was pretty much the first person to write English operas since Handel and Henry Purcell in the Baroque. He also wrote an incredibly haunting piece called “War Requiem” where he combines the Catholic requiem text with Wilfred Owen’s war poems. This piece is a handy showcase of all the orchestra’s instruments and their various combinations. More…