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Benjamin Britten 22 BENJAMIN BRITTEN 22. 11. 1913 – 4. 12. 1976 Anglický skladatel, dirigent a klavírista Edward Benjamin Britten, Lord Britten of Aldeburgh, se narodil 22. listopadu 1913 v Lowestoftu v hrabství Suffolk. Je nesporn ě nejvýznamn ější osobností anglické hudby od dob Williama Byrda a Henryho Purcella. Po n ěm také plným právem p řevzal titul Orpheus Britannicus. Byl nejmladší ze čty ř sourozenc ů a podle toho dostal i p řízna čné jméno Benjamin. V pěti letech za čal hrát na klavír, v deseti na violu a záhy se pokoušel o komponování. Ve svých čtrnácti letech m ěl za sebou již deset klavírních sonát, šest smy čcových kvartet ů, písn ě a oratorium. Studoval na Royal College of Music v Londýn ě. Mezi jeho u čiteli byli nap ř. Artur Benjamin, John Ireland a Frank Bridge. Frank Bridge byl nejen u čitelem, ale po celý život i rádcem Benjamina Brittena. Bridge první rozpoznal živelný kompozi ční talent u mladého skladatele a ochotn ě mu poskytoval hodiny harmonie a kontrapunktu. Studium ukon čil Britten s vyznamenáním a prvními skv ělými ve řejnými úsp ěchy. Již jeho první skladba, Sinfonietta pro komorní orchestr , vzbudila senzaci. Z Royal College odešel Britten v roce 1933, našel si vydavatele (Boosey & Hawkes) a zam ěstnání jako skladatel pro divadlo, rozhlas a dokumentární filmy. Tato laborato ř hudby na minuty a vte řiny mu poskytla nejlepší školu praktické kompozice a užite čný trénink skladatelské pohotovosti a nápaditosti. Roku 1935 za čal psát filmovou hudbu pro sérii dokumentárních film ů, zobrazující aspekty anglického života (Coal Face, Night Mail, The King’s Stamp). Britten rád a často psal p říležitostná díla, z okamžitého podn ětu nebo p římo na objednávku. Vznikla tak řada jeho scénických, filozofických a rozhlasových kompozic, množství komorních skladeb pro r ůzná nástrojová obsazení, sborové skladby pro amatérská p ěvecká sdružení, skladby pro d ěti a také písn ě a pís ňové cykly. V nich je znát Britten ův smysl pro krásu anglické poezie, jeho schopnost lyrického projevu a um ění zhudebn ění slova, tedy vlohy, které Brittena záhy p řivedly k tvorb ě oper. Britten sám v mládí zpíval v madrigalové skupin ě. Za čal také spolupracovat s básníkem Wystanem Hughem Audenem, jenž dodal komentá ře vyprav ěč e pro n ěkteré z film ů doprovázených Brittenovou hudbou. Um ělecké názory básníka, stejn ě tak jako jeho levicové přesv ědčení a homosexuální zp ůsob života mladého skladatele siln ě ovlivnily. Roku 1937 zem řeli Brittenovi rodi če a v tomto roce se poprvé setkal s tenoristou Peterem Pearsem, s nímž ho pojilo celoživotní osobní a um ělecké p řátelství, které se stalo jednou z hlavních inspirací jeho hudební tvorby. P říležitostn ě spolu také koncertovali. P ět m ěsíc ů p řed vypuknutím 2. sv ětové války se spolu vydali do Severní Ameriky a z ůstali zde t ři roky. Ve stejné dob ě zde žil i básník Auden. Britten se zde pokoušel koncertovat, i když neúsp ěšn ě – jako v případ ě operety Paul Bunyan , napsané práv ě ve spolupráci s Audenem a uvedené v New Yorku v roce 1941. Do Anglie se Britten s Pearsem vrátil v roce 1942. Usadil se v malé obci Aldeburgh nedaleko svého rodišt ě na 1 východním pob řeží. Zde vytvo řil v ětšinu svého díla a sem situoval i n ěkolik skladeb. Sv ětové slávy dosáhl Britten operou Peter Grimes , která m ěla premiéru v londýnském divadle Saddler’s Well 7. června 1945. Nadšená anglická hudební kritika operu p ři premié ře nazvala nejv ětším anglickým operním dílem od dob Purcellovy Dido a Aeneas. Brittena tak úsp ěch vynesl mezi skladatele, již ur čovali sm ěr vývoje hudby dvacátého století. Britten, vzácn ě disponován k tomu druhu hudebn ě dramatické tvorby, napsal n ěkolik dalších děl trvalé hodnoty a stal se tak zakladatelem moderní anglické opery. Díla jako práv ě Peter Grimes , Albert Herring , Zneuct ění Lukrécie , Sen noci svatojánské , Smrt v Benátkách jsou poslucha čsky vd ěč ná a sd ělná v myšlenkovém obsahu i v hudebním ztvárn ění. V operách a vokálních či kantátových dílech se projevuje Brittenova myslitelská, nikoliv jen muzikantská osobnost. Nám ětov ě se p řimyká k témat ům sociálním, ke konfliktním situacím vyvolaným lidskou zlobou, zradou v ěrnosti a cti, ponížením či k utrpení vyvolanému válkou ( Sinfonia da Requiem ). Sinfonia da Requiem má pon ěkud zvláštní historii. Ke kompozici byl Britten vyzván zastupitelstvím nejmenované velmoci, která si ke svým státním oslavám objednala skladby n ěkolika významných skladatel ů. Dodate čně vyšlo najevo, že jde o Japonsko a jeho 2 600. výro čí založení japonského císa řství a že tedy projekt skladby se symbolizujícími názvy jednotlivých částí – Lacrymosa , Dies irae a Requiem aeternam – naprosto není vhodný pro takovouto p říležitost. Vále čné události, konkrétn ě útok japonské armády na základnu Pearl Harbour, roz řešily pak problém samy a Britten nakonec své dílo, které v sob ě skrývá úzkost a smutek z tehdejšího sv ětového d ění, v ěnoval památce svých rodi čů . V letech nejv ětšího rozmachu Brittenových tv ůrčích sil vznikla skladba originálního zám ěru Pr ůvodce mladého člov ěka orchestrem (Variace a fuga na téma Henryho Purcella), op. 34 . P ůvodn ě to byla hudba k výchovnému filmu o orchestru, o jeho nástrojových skupinách a jednotlivých nástrojích s vysv ětlujícím komentá řem, který je sou částí partitury. Britten ův univerzální talent se dokázal znamenit ě p řiblížit i d ětskému sv ětu, nap ř. skladbami Ud ělejme si operu ( Let’s Make an Opera ) – kde v první části d ětské publikum spoluú činkuje a v druhé části se hraje samostatný p říb ěh –, Kominí ček ( The Little Sweep ). V další ope ře Billy Budd (podle Hermana Melvilla) je použito jen mužských a chlapeckých hlas ů. Pro korunovaci královny Alžb ěty II. složil operu s názvem Gloriana , která zpracovává p říb ěh královny Alžb ěty I., a to ve stylu staré opery s uzav řenými čísly. Spolu s Pearsem se Britten v roce 1948 podílel na založení hudebního festivalu v Aldeburghu (Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts), pro který vznikla řada jeho d ěl, v četn ě oper. Stal se také spoluzakladatelem Britten-Pearsovy školy ve Snape a koncertní sín ě Snape Maltings Concert Hall, stejn ě tak se podílel na vzniku English Opera Group. Spole čně se svými aristokratickými p řáteli Britten a Pears cestovali (1955) po východní Asii a navštívili také ostrov Bali. Roku 1961 Britten dokon čil své Vále čné rekviem , psané u p říležitosti vysv ěcení nov ě zrekonstruované katedrály v Coventry, která byla tém ěř celá zni čena b ěhem 2. sv ětové války. V tomto 2 rekviem Britten zkombinoval latinský liturgický text s anglickými protivále čnými verši anglického básníka Wilfreda Owena, který padl roku 1918; stejně tak je dílo zasv ěceno i památce čty ř Brittenových p řátel, kte ří padli ve 2. sv ětové válce. Tradi ční církevní pozadí díla je Brittenovi prostorem, z něhož vyr ůstá soudobá osnova se sugestivními a psychologicky výraznými monology i dialogy. Během života Britten získal mnoho poct – roku 1953 byl povýšen do šlechtického stavu a v roce 1967 byl jmenován lordem. Jako skladatel odmítal samoú čelné experimentování; psal pro konkrétní p říležitosti i pro ur čité interprety. P ři návšt ěvě Prahy vyslovil zásadu: „ Nové myšlenky pot řebují novou techniku, ale nejd říve tu musí být myšlenka .“ Britten byl náruživým sportovcem, m ěl rád tenis, plavání. Potíže se srdcem ke konci života ho p řinutily podstoupit operaci, která se p říliš nezda řila. Britten zem řel v náru čí svého p řítele Pearse 4. prosince 1976 v Aldeburghu. (Zpracovala: Lucie Lánová) 3 .
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