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AN APPRAISAL OF THE POLY- TECHNICAL WORKS OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN Jim Coyle Submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sydney Conservatorium of Music The University of Sydney 2019 I declare that the research presented here is my own original work and has not been submitted to any other institution for the award of a degree. Signed: ....................................................................................... Date: ........ 5th February 2019 ABSTRACT Works featuring musically-untrained children form a uniquely large and important part of the output of Benjamin Britten (1913-1976). Some of these pieces are poly- technical, which is to say they feature professional musicians alongside musically- untrained children. This thesis examines the ways in which Britten made technical adjustments when writing these works. These were necessary for the children to be able to perform them. A detailed analysis of the relevant vocal and instrumental music was undertaken, with some of Britten’s other works analysed for comparison. The results of these analyses demonstrate the methods and extent of these technical adjustments. By examining Britten’s own writing about music and relevant critical literature, this thesis also concludes that in making these technical adjustments, Britten in no way compromised the integrity of his voice as a composer. This thesis demonstrates that it is therefore possible for a composer to write music of the highest artistic integrity, but still make technical adjustments to allow for the skills of the performers available. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely grateful for the care and expertise of my Supervisor Dr James Humberstone and Associate Supervisor Dr Michael Webb. Sincere thanks and acknowledgements go to Dr Philip Eames who edited this thesis. Dr Eames is a researcher working in the field of 20th Century music, but his editorial contribution was strictly limited to matters of style and presentation. Any errors that remain in this work are entirely my own responsibility. I am also most grateful to my friends and family for their support and suggestions, particularly Shelley Bartley, Ian McIvor, Gary Macaulay and Melinda Hole. Finally, my thanks to Trefor Farrow, my high school music teacher, who first introduced me to the works of Benjamin Britten. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS AN APPRAISAL OF THE POLY-TECHNICAL WORKS OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN ................1 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. iii Table of contents .................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Figures & Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Britten and poly-technicality ...........................................................................................................1 1.2 Biographical Context ......................................................................................................................2 1.3 Britten and British Society ..............................................................................................................6 1.4 Definition and significance of poly-technicality and musically-untrained children ......................7 1.5 An overview of Britten’s poly-technical works; grounds for inclusion and exclusion. ................12 1.5.1 The core poly-technical repertoire: St Nicolas, The Little Sweep and Noye’s Fludde. .............18 1.5.2 Later poly-technical works ........................................................................................................20 1.6 The unique place of poly-technical repertoire in Britten’s output. ..............................................21 2. Literature Review ..............................................................................................................................23 2.1 Extent, Scope and Focus of the Literature ....................................................................................23 2.2 Britten’s Status as a Composer .....................................................................................................26 2.3 Britten’s Relationships ..................................................................................................................27 2.4 Britten and Society ........................................................................................................................28 2.5 Britten and Children .....................................................................................................................31 2.6 Technical Considerations in Britten’s Poly-technical Music .......................................................34 2.7 Artistic Considerations in Britten’s Poly-technical Music ...........................................................37 2.8 Analytical Methodology ................................................................................................................43 2.9 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................45 3. Poly-technicality in Britten’s Vocal writing ....................................................................................47 3.1 Technical Difficulty of Vocal Music – Representative Excerpts ...................................................47 3.2 Technical Difficulty of Vocal Music – repertoire and Methodology ............................................50 3.2.1 Methodology for Comprehensive Analysis ................................................................................54 3.3 Findings ........................................................................................................................................55 3.4 Discussion .....................................................................................................................................56 3.4.1 Range .........................................................................................................................................56 3.4.2 Mean Pitch .................................................................................................................................58 3.4.3 Pitch Proximity ..........................................................................................................................59 3.4.4 Pitch Reversal ............................................................................................................................59 3.4.5 Expert and musically-untrained mean pitch values ...................................................................60 3.4.6 Other Factors Affecting Technical Difficulty – analysis of further Representative Passages. .60 3.4.7 Phrase length and Other Technical Considerations ..................................................................63 iv 3.4.8 Discussion and Detailed Analysis of the Core Poly-technical Repertoire ................................71 3.4.9 Analysis of Texture in the Core Repertoire ................................................................................74 3.4.10 The Cambiato Voice .................................................................................................................76 3.4.11 The RagazZo Sound and Singing Loudly ..................................................................................77 3.4.12 Spreading to Harmony .............................................................................................................78 3.4.13 Descant, Ostinato, Canon ........................................................................................................79 4. Poly-technicality in Britten’s instrumental writing ........................................................................81 4.1 Woodwind .....................................................................................................................................84 4.2 Brass .............................................................................................................................................88 4.3 Percussion .....................................................................................................................................90 4.3 Keyboard Instruments ...................................................................................................................99 4.5 String Instruments .......................................................................................................................100 4.5.1 Britten’s Poly-technical String Writing In Noye’s Fludde ......................................................101 4.5.2 Britten’s Poly-technical String Writing after Noye’s Fludde ..................................................107 5. Britten’s Poly-technical works: Integrity and Authenticity ........................................................110 5.1.1 Public statements by Britten about his poly-technical works ..................................................110 5.1.2 Prominence Given to Premieres of Poly-technical Works ......................................................113 5.1.3 Publishing and Recording Poly-technical Works ....................................................................114