Benjamin Britten in London - 10 December, 1931

from Journeying boy : the diaries of the young Benjamin Britten 1928-1938, page 92:

Go at dinner with Bridges & then to Northampton Polytechnic institute (Clarkenwell)* for concert for poor people by Audrey Chapman Orchestra cond. by F.B. Amateur strings (marvellous) & pro. wind (quite good). They play Brahms Tragic ov. Schubert B min. Simp.** Dvorak Serenade for strings (rubbish) & Tchaikovsky's adorable Romeo & Juliet. Harold William's sing Non piu Andrai (Figaro)*** not too well, but Song of the Flea (Mussorgsky)**** marvellously so that it has to be repeated. The orch is magnificent althro', & F.B. of course superb. The performance of Tchaikovsky drives me potty.
cite as

John Evans (ed.), Journeying boy : the diaries of the young Benjamin Britten 1928-1938 (:London, 2009), p. 92. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1434287616014 accessed: 29 March, 2024

location of experience: London

Listeners

Benjamin Britten
Composer
1913-1976

Listening to

hide composers
Serenade for strings
written by Antonín Dvorák, Edward Elgar
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Frank Bridge
Song of the Flea
written by Modest Mussorgsky
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Frank Bridge
Symphony in B minor 'Unfinished'
written by Franz Schubert
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Frank Bridge
Nozze di Figaro
written by Mozart, Mozart
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Harold Williams, Frank Bridge
Tragic Overture
written by Johannes Brahms
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Frank Bridge
Romeo and Juliet
written by Charles Gounod, Berlioz, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Sergei Prokofiev
performed by Audrey Chapman Orchestra, Frank Bridge

Experience Information

Date/Time 10 December, 1931
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, indoors, in public

Notes

*A Technical College in St John's Street, London, EC1, now part of the City University **The 'Unfinished', D759 ***Figaro's famous Act I aria from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro ****Mussorgsky Mephistopheles's Song of the Flea (Goethe).


Originally submitted by gkw on Sun, 14 Jun 2015 14:13:36 +0100
Approved on Wed, 28 Sep 2016 11:20:19 +0100