I don’t know this work well enough, although I have a pretty beaten up set of the LPs of the composer’s own Decca recording.
Anyway, it’s the subject of Building A Library on BBC Radio 3, starting in just over half an hour (10:30 AM).
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It’s an overwhelming work especially if heard live and its ironical take on war and its terrible consequences seems to have become dreadfully relevant again.
I think Britten’s own recording is pretty much essential listening, but I’m also a fan of Richard Hickox’s version. I’ll be interested to see what R3 recommends and try to catch up with it later on BBC Sounds.
Roger
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I heard it live in Bruges a couple of years ago, it’s a stunning work. McCreesh on Signum, and Pappano on Warner Classics are very good too, but I’m not surprised R3 chose the original recording.
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