Sinfonia da Requiem

History#

In the early autumn (northern hemisphere) of 1939, Britten was approached through the British Council to write an orchestral work for a special festivity of an unspecified great power. Britten agreed in principle to this request, provided that he would not be expected to furnish a piece that was in any way jingoistic. Britten subsequently learned that the requester was Japan, whose government had requested works by composers from several countries to celebrate the 2600th anniversary of the ruling dynasty. At this point, Japan was engaged fully in its invasion of mainland China but had not yet entered World War II formally or become allied with Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy. It had also developed a firm acquaintance with Western classical music. Performing groups trained by Western musicians were numerous. Other Western composers who received commissions included Richard Strauss, who was directed to participate by Joseph Goebbels of the Nazi German government, and French composer Jacques Ibert. Along with the Western composers invited, several Japanese composers participated in the anniversary celebrations. With the help of poet and fellow expatriate W.H. Auden, Britten replied in writing, “in as dignified a manner as possible”, that his supplying a Christian work was no surprise, as he was a Christian and came from a Christian nation. He denied the alleged glumness of the Sinfonia and any intent of an insult, and said that the delay in receiving the contract had eliminated the possibility of composing a celebratory work within the deadline. Britten submitted this letter to the British consulate, which approved it and forwarded it to Tokyo. This was the last, he wrote, that he heard of the matter. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, relations between Britain and Japan were severed. Although the piece was rejected, the Japanese did not request the return of the commissioning fee. Instead, Viscount Konoye announced that Britten’s score had arrived too late for inclusion in the celebration.

Premiere and subsequent commission#

The world premiere took place in Carnegie Hall, New York, on 29 March 1941 with the New York Philharmonic under John Barbirolli. The first British performance took place the following year, and its belated Japanese premiere was on 18 February 1956, with the composer conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Not long after the New York premiere, Serge Koussevitzky conducted the work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This performance led to the Koussevitzky Music Foundations commission of Britten’s opera Peter Grimes.

Structure#

The Sinfonia is in three movements played without a break, and a performance usually lasts around 20 minutes. Britten’s analysis, quoted in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra’s program notes, reads: As can be seen from the following examples, two themes provide unity between the movements. The first theme is echoed in the second and third movements, in differing tempi. In addition, the fourth theme in the second movement is modified as the opening of the third. The headings of the three movements are taken from the Roman Catholic Mass for the dead, but the composition has no liturgical associations. Britten described the movements respectively as “a slow, marching lament”, “a form of Dance of Death” and “the final resolution”. All its movements have D as their tonal center.

Themes#

I. Lacrymosa \relative c \clef bass \key d \minor \time 6/8 \tempo “Andante ben misurato” 4. = 40 r4 a8–\pp a4 bes8– bes4 d,8(\ \relative c’ \clef treble \key d \minor \time 6/8 \tempo 4. = 40 r4 r8 d4.(\p d\ d,2.! d4.) c’( d, c’ d,\ ~ ees~! ees4.) \relative c \clef bass \key d \minor \time 6/8 \tempo 4. = 40 2.->\pp \clef treble ->~ 4. II. Dies irae \relative c \clef treble \key d \minor \time 3/4 \tempo “Allegro con fuoco” 4 = 148 r4 a:32\pp\ a-> \relative c \clef treble \key d \minor \time 3/4 \tempo “Con anima” 4 = 148 \times 2/3 g8(\mf^“molto marcato” b) b \times 2/3 b b b \times 2/3 b( g) g \times 2/3 g g g \times 2/3 g( b) b \times 2/3 b( g) g a \relative c’ \clef treble \key g \minor \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 \tempo “Alla marcia” 4 = 148 r2 ees~(\ c2.! \relative c \clef treble \key g \minor \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 \tempo 4 = 148 > III. Requiem aeternam \relative c \clef treble \key d \major \time 3/4 \tempo “Andante molto tranquillo” 4 = 60 a4\pp\ fis a! g2\ fis e fis4!) \relative c’ \clef treble \key d \major \time 3/4 \tempo “sempre molto tranquillo” 4 = 60 r4 r8 fis\pp fis( gis) gis( a) a( d, a’ e’) e4.–

Instrumentation#

The score is written for 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo and alto flute ad lib.), 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets in B, bass clarinet in B (doubling E clarinet), 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.

Anti-war tone#

According to Herbert Glass, Britten composed the Sinfonia da Requiem as a memorial to his parents. It was also an expression of the composer’s lifelong pacifism and a reaction to the darkening political developments that led eventually to the Second World War. He had, in fact, recently settled in the United States because of Britain’s involvement in the war. In an article published on 27 April 1940, he told the New York Sun, “I’m making it just as anti-war as possible … I don’t believe you can express social or political or economic theories in music, but by coupling new music with well-known musical phrases, I think it’s possible to get over certain ideas … all I’m sure of is my own anti-war conviction as I write it.” Britten’s politically themed works before 1939 had not proved popular. While his publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, had supported him in his composition, it had also tried to encourage him to write more conventional pieces, suggesting, for example, a piano concerto for the BBC and a ballet for Sadler’s Wells. The war changed all this. Before the Sinfonia, the Ballad of Heroes and Advance Democracy did well because of their political themes.

Place in Britten’s canon#

Musicologist Peter Evans claims that, while Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra came afterwards, the Sinfonia represents the peak of Britten’s early orchestral writing.

See also#

• Japanese Festival Music
• Peter Grimes
• War Requiem

External links#

*Sinfonia da Requiem at the Britten-Pears Foundation website