Sinfonia da Requiem
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Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20 for orchestra is a symphony written by Benjamin Britten in 1940 at the age of 26. It was one of several works commissioned from different composers by the Japanese Government to mark the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of the Japanese Empire (taken to be 11 February, 660 BCE). Britten's use of titles that refer to the Christian liturgy was, however, taken as an insult, so the piece was rejected. The premiere took place in the Carnegie Hall, New York on March 29, 1941 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under John Barbirolli.
The symphony is in three movements played without a break:
- Lacrymosa (Andante ben misurato)
- Dies Irae (Allegro con fuoco)
- Requiem Aeternam (Andante molto tranquillo)
The headings of the three movements are all taken from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead but without any direct liturgical associations. Britten described the three movements respectively as "a slow, marching lament", "a form of Dance of Death" and "the final resolution". Since all of the movements have the same tonic (either D major or D minor), the work is homotonal.
The score is written for 3 flutes and piccolo (with alto flute ad lib.), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, alto saxophone (ad lib.), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns (2 of these ad lib.), 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, side drum, cymbals, tambourine, whip, xylophone, 2 harps (second ad lib.), piano, and strings.
A performance of the symphony usually lasts around 20 minutes.
[edit] External links
- Sinfonia da Requiem at the Britten-Pears Foundation website
- Program note written by Richard Freed for a National Symphony Orchestra performance in the John F. Kennedy Centre
