Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC869 LES ILLUMINATIONS

For high voice and string orchestra, op. 18
Period of composition: Mar - 25 Oct 1939
Date notes

See individual movements for further details.

First performance: 30 Jan 1940 >>
Type of performance: Concert performance
Location: Aeolian Hall, London
Performance details:

Sophie Wyss sop, Boyd Neel Orchestra, Boyd Neel cond

Genre: Solo vocal
Text: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891)
Dedication: 'For Sophie Wyss'

See individual movements for details of other dedicatees

Notes

The names of movements and their were originally different. In a letter from Britten to Ralph Hawkes on 3 June 1939, the movements are listed as follows:

1 Introduction (Fanfare)

2 Mouvement [later 'Villes']

3 Being beauteous

4 Marine

5 Antique

6 Phrases

7 Parade

Numbers

  • 1 Fanfare
  • 2 Villes >>
    notes:

    Completed 4 Oct 1939.

  • 3a Phrase
  • 3b Antique ('To K.H.W.S.') >>
    notes:

    The dedicatee is Wulff Scherchen. The composition draft for this movement is not dated, but it must have been completed before 3 June 1939 as it is included in the original list of movements Britten sent to his publisher (see note in main record).

  • 4 Royauté >>
    notes:

    Completed 6 Jul 1939.

  • 5 Marine >>
    notes:

    Completed 18 Mar 1939

  • 6 Interlude ('To E.M.') >>
    notes:

    The dedicatee is Elizabeth Mayer.

  • 7 Being beauteous ('To P.N.L.P.') >>
    notes:

    The draft was completed on 16 March 1939, and the fair copy on 11 April 1939. The dedicatee is Peter Neville Luard Pears.

  • 8 Parade >>
    notes:

    Completed by 9 Oct 1939. Uses material from the discarded movement 'Alla marcia' from Three divertimenti (1933-36).

  • 9 Départ >>
    notes:

    Completed 4 Oct 1939.

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.