Britten’s
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
was the composer’s first work to Benjamin become truly popular. He had written
much music prior to this including a large number of attractive film scores, the
choral work A Boy was Born, chamber
music and songs. The Variations were written in a
comparatively short period of time during the summer of 1937. It was composed
at the behest of conductor Boyd Neel who desperately needed a new piece of
British music for his orchestra to play at the Salzburg Festival of that year.
Frank
Bridge (1879-1941) began teaching Britten when the young composer was only
fourteen years old. Perhaps Bridge’s greatest
achievement as a teacher was to introduce him to the prevailing musical
movements of twentieth century Europe including the works of Schoenberg and
Webern. It was even mooted at one time that Britten should be sent to study
with Alban Berg in Vienna. In honour of his years as Bridge’s pupil, Britten dedicated
the score of his Variations to ‘F.B. A tribute with affection and
admiration’.
The
work is structured as follows and includes the notes about Bridge’s personality
made by Britten on the pencil score; however it is difficult to reconcile some
of the elder composer’s character traits with the music presented.
Introduction
and Theme [To FB –
himself]
Variation
1: Adagio [His integrity]
Variation
2: March [His
energy]
Variation
3: Romance [His
charm]
Variation
4: Aria Italiana [His
wit]
Variation
5: Bourrée Classique [His
tradition]
Variation
6: Wiener Walzer [His
gaiety]
Variation
7: Moto Perpetuo [His
enthusiasm]
Variation
8: Funeral March [His
sympathy (understanding)]
Variation
9: Chant [His
reverence]
Variation
10: Fugue and Finale [His skill
& our affection]
Britten
utilised a theme from the second of Bridge’s Three Idylls for string quartet, Op.6, No.2 [H.67] which had been
composed in 1906. The basic concept of
the Variations is to present a pastiche of various European musical styles and
genres. The original theme is ‘translated, transformed, transferred and transfigured’
into a number of parodies. Examples of this include the Rossini-inspired ‘Aria
Italiana’, a Wiener Walzer that is in the manner of Ravel’s La valse and a ‘Bourrée Classique’ that
nods to the neo-classical composers of that time. However, the emotional tension
of the work is epitomised in the placing of the bubbly ‘Moto Perpetuo’ immediately
before the astringent and haunting ‘Funeral March’ which is infused with a
Mahlerian intensity.
The
final ‘devilish’ fugue is reputed to contain a number of references to other
works by Frank Bridge including Summer,
Enter Spring, The Sea, There is a Willow
Grows Aslant a Brook and the Piano Trio from 1929. The initial theme is reprised in finale. The
Variations are scored for string
orchestra with soloists.
Commentators
have often considered that there is an underlying ‘programme’ in the Variations. At the time of composition
Britten was still mourning the death of his mother at the end of January of that
year and was coming to terms with his homosexuality – he had met Peter Pears in
1936. Certainly the work vacillates between high spirits and downright
melancholy and this may or may not suggest some personal struggle. However, Britten would have nothing to do
with such a suggestion.
The
Variations were duly heard at
Salzburg on 27 August 1937; however the premiere was actually broadcast on
Radio Hilversum two days previously. The work was received with great acclaim.
An exellent version of Britten's Variations can be heard on the Naxos Label performed by the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Steuart Bedforf. This recording has been uploaded to YouTube.
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