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his enthusiasm; the Moto perpetuo his vitality; the
Funeral March his sympathy; the Chant was his reverence; the Fugue was his skill (it contains a number of references to other works by Bridge); and their mutual affection appears in the Finale. These connections were made explicit on the score Britten presented to Bridge, but they do not appear in the printed score.
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Though the theme is played in the opening section, it is done so rather whimsically, and it is only at the end of the piece that it is spelled out with weight and clarity. When it arrives it makes sense of everything that has gone before it, demanding that we start again from the beginning, hearing
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Each variation is a nod to a specific quality in Bridge's personality, but reflected through the prism of
Britten's own personality. The Adagio represented Bridge's integrity; the March was his energy; the Romance his charm; the Aria Italiana his humour; the Bourrée his tradition; the Wiener Walzer
70:
and his orchestra to perform three works at that year's
Festival, in August, only three months away. One of those works had to be a previously unperformed work by a British composer. Neel knew Britten from having conducted his film score for
77:
in 1936, so he asked him to write a new work for a string orchestra. Britten accepted the commission and immediately started work on a new set of variations on a theme by Bridge. Britten took as his theme the second of Bridge's
59:
from 1927. In 1932 he began writing a set of variations on a theme from one of Bridge's works, as a tribute to his teacher, but he was distracted by other matters and the work went nowhere.
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The work was given its concert premiere, as planned, on 27 August 1937 in
Salzburg. However, its broadcast premiere occurred two days earlier; it was played live on
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It was first recorded in 1938 by Neel conducting his own string orchestra. A recording with
Britten himself conducting did not appear until 1967, with the
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He dedicated the work "To F.B. A tribute with affection and admiration". Both Bridge and
Britten attended rehearsals of the work.
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235:. This had its first performance on 26 April 1949 at the Prince's Theatre, London, by the Ballet de Paris de
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82:, Op. 6, No. 2. The first sketch was completed in 10 days, and the work was fully scored by 12 July.
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for Decca. It has also been recorded by many other ensembles, with conductors including
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on 25 August. Its
British premiere took place on 5 October of the same year.
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44:. It was the work that brought Britten to international attention.
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Britten also imitated the styles of a number of composers such as
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A typical performance of the work lasts around 27 minutes.
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Eric Walter White, Benjamin
Britten: His life and operas
196:the work once more, this time with our ears alert.
16:1937 work for string orchestra by Benjamin Britten
1393:Benjamin Britten: A Life in the Twentieth Century
398:Benjamin Britten: A Life in the Twentieth Century
273:List of variations on a theme by another composer
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779:Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra
263:with set and costume design by Keso Dekker.
36:. It was written in 1937 at the request of
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740:The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
1209:Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria
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708:Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
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259:for the composition in 2005, for the
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1407:Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
1005:Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
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131:The work is structured as follows:
62:In May 1937, the organisers of the
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1278:Variations on an Elizabethan Theme
959:Canticle III: Still falls the rain
364:Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music
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1470:Compositions for string orchestra
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1460:Compositions by Benjamin Britten
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80:Three Idylls for string quartet
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927:The Holy Sonnets of John Donne
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165:Variation 10: Fugue and Finale
150:Variation 5: Bourrée classique
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919:Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo
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153:Variation 6: Wiener Waltzer
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159:Variation 8: Funeral March
156:Variation 7: Moto perpetuo
147:Variation 4: Aria Italiana
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624:The Burning Fiery Furnace
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97:English Chamber Orchestra
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1356:Benjamin Britten (train)
1340:The Red House, Aldeburgh
1330:Britten-Pears Orchestra
1021:Who Are These Children?
796:Vocal/Choral Orchestral
299:Music Web International
257:Frank Bridge Variations
1228:(three trumpets, 1959)
989:Songs from the Chinese
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135:Introduction and Theme
1485:1949 ballet premieres
1480:1942 ballet premieres
876:Cantata misericordium
812:The Company of Heaven
565:The Turn of the Screw
446:Dutch National Ballet
261:Dutch National Ballet
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191:writes of the piece:
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1252:String Quartet No. 3
1202:String Quartet No. 2
1196:String Quartet No. 1
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1177:Chamber/Instrumental
1134:A Hymn of St Columba
1080:A Ceremony of Carols
973:A Charm of Lullabies
944:(1947–75, including
525:The Rape of Lucretia
494:List of compositions
144:Variation 3: Romance
74:Love From a Stranger
1413:English Opera Group
1349:Named after Britten
1104:Rejoice in the Lamb
804:Our Hunting Fathers
724:Sinfonia da Requiem
413:Boosey & Hawkes
204:Ballet arrangements
138:Variation 1: Adagio
101:Herbert von Karajan
1400:Britten's Children
1320:Britten Pears Arts
1315:Aldeburgh Festival
1248:(1964, 1967, 1972)
1150:Children's Crusade
1088:Hymn to St Cecilia
884:Children's Crusade
732:Matinées musicales
501:Opera and operetta
317:Classical Archives
162:Variation 9: Chant
141:Variation 2: March
28:10, is a work for
1475:1937 compositions
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1142:The Golden Vanity
1112:Five Flower Songs
1072:Advance Democracy
1048:Friday Afternoons
1029:A Birthday Hansel
860:Cantata academica
820:Les Illuminations
766:(1939, rev. 1958)
760:(1938, rev. 1945)
700:Soirées musicales
233:Le RĂŞve de LĂ©onor
175:Gioachino Rossini
64:Salzburg Festival
42:Salzburg Festival
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1385:Related articles
1376:Britten Sinfonia
1289:Film adaptations
1190:Phantasy Quartet
1120:Hymn to St Peter
1096:Festival Te Deum
782:(1940 rev. 1954)
632:The Prodigal Son
541:The Little Sweep
485:Benjamin Britten
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34:Benjamin Britten
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1246:Cello suites
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1232:Cello sonata
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1220:(oboe, 1951)
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1166:Jubilate Deo
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1127:Missa Brevis
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1064:Te Deum in C
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981:Winter Words
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57:Frank Bridge
51:
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19:
18:
1299:(1989 film)
1297:War Requiem
1051:(1932–1935)
962:(1954) and
941:5 Canticles
868:War Requiem
751:Concertante
685:Sinfonietta
643:Film/Ballet
509:Paul Bunyan
435:Twyla Tharp
243:Twyla Tharp
189:Paul Kildea
1465:Variations
1454:Categories
678:Orchestral
659:Night Mail
549:Billy Budd
279:References
231:'s ballet
216:'s ballet
117:Iona Brown
48:Background
914:(1922–26)
716:Mont Juic
223:In 1949,
127:Structure
68:Boyd Neel
38:Boyd Neel
1441:Category
956:(1952),
852:Nocturne
557:Gloriana
267:See also
208:In 1942
66:invited
936:(1945)+
892:Phaedra
400:, p. 85
1308:Legacy
1281:(1953)
1273:(1941)
1254:(1975)
1234:(1961)
1204:(1945)
1198:(1941)
1186:(1931)
1169:(1961)
1161:(1974)
1153:(1968)
1145:(1966)
1137:(1962)
1129:(1959)
1123:(1955)
1115:(1950)
1107:(1943)
1099:(1944)
1091:(1942)
1083:(1942)
1075:(1938)
1067:(1934)
1059:(1933)
1040:Choral
1032:(1975)
1024:(1969)
1016:(1965)
1008:(1965)
1000:(1958)
992:(1957)
984:(1954)
976:(1947)
968:(1971)
930:(1945)
922:(1940)
895:(1975)
887:(1969)
879:(1963)
871:(1961)
863:(1959)
855:(1958)
847:(1949)
839:(1948)
831:(1943)
823:(1939)
815:(1937)
807:(1936)
788:(1963)
774:(1939)
743:(1946)
735:(1941)
727:(1940)
719:(1937)
711:(1937)
703:(1937)
695:(1934)
687:(1932)
670:(1956)
662:(1936)
654:(1931)
635:(1968)
627:(1966)
619:(1964)
600:(1973)
592:(1971)
584:(1960)
576:(1958)
568:(1954)
560:(1953)
552:(1951)
544:(1949)
536:(1947)
528:(1946)
520:(1945)
512:(1941)
111:, Sir
107:, Sir
903:Vocal
386:Naxos
218:Jinx
181:and
119:and
32:by
26:Op.
1456::
950:,
405:^
356:^
323:^
305:^
287:^
249:.
239:.
220:.
185:.
177:,
123:.
115:,
103:,
24:,
477:e
470:t
463:v
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