Page 100 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2020. Konservatoriji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela ▪︎ The conservatories: professionalisation and specialisation of musical activity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 4
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konservator iji: profesionalizacija in specializacija glasbenega dela
position teacher and admired Britten’s ability, was very unreliable because
of personal problems. Although Britten composed many new works and
won college prizes, virtually nothing of his was performed at the College,
probably because his music was too ‘advanced’. The performance of two of
his choral works was reportedly abandoned because the choir was alleged-
ly not good enough. Pointing to this example Britten wrote:
Bridge intervened angrily when I couldn’t get a performance of
two choral psalms I had written (I heard practically nothing of the
reams of music I was writing then). He said I ought to hear them
because without aural experience it was difficult to link notes and
sounds. Vaughan Williams claimed that the singers weren’t good
enough, to which Bridge retorted that it was up to the R. C. M.
[Royal College of Music] to have a chorus good enough and that he
ought to use his influence.29
Britten showed great interest in Schoenberg’s First Chamber Sympho-
ny and appeared to use it as a model for his first major work, the Sinfoniet-
ta for ten instruments.30 In the end this was to be first performed outside
the college at the public Macnaughten-Lemare concerts, while another later
performance in the College had to be delayed because the performers were
not able to cope with the difficulties. When it came to postgraduate study
Britten wanted to study with Alban Berg, but someone in authority in the
college (rumoured to be the director Hugh Allen) ensured that this was not
going to take place. Bridge also became involved with Britten’s future plans
after he had finished his studies at the Royal College of Music. Britten was
explicit about the situation:
He [Bridge] intervened, with no greater success, when the question
arose of my going on to study with Berg. I had finished at the Col-
lege with a small travelling scholarship and wanted to go to Vien-
na. Bridge greatly admired Berg (he later, after Berg’s death, intro-
duced me to Schoenberg). But, when the College was told, coolness
arose. I think, but cannot be sure, that the Director, Sir Hugh Allen,
put a spoke in the wheel. At any rate, when I said at home during
29 Benjamin Britten, “Early influences: a tribute to Frank Bridge (1879–1941),” (Lon-
don: BBC Broadcast Talk, 9 January 1966). My thanks to Dr Nicholas Clark of the
Britten-Pears Foundation for providing a copy of this text.
30 Erwin Stein, “The Symphonies”, in Benjamin Britten, a commentary on his works
from a group of specialists, eds. Donald Mitchell and Hans Keller (London: Rockliff,
1952), 247; Peter Evans, The Music of Benjamin Britten (London: Dent, 1979), 15–21.
98
position teacher and admired Britten’s ability, was very unreliable because
of personal problems. Although Britten composed many new works and
won college prizes, virtually nothing of his was performed at the College,
probably because his music was too ‘advanced’. The performance of two of
his choral works was reportedly abandoned because the choir was alleged-
ly not good enough. Pointing to this example Britten wrote:
Bridge intervened angrily when I couldn’t get a performance of
two choral psalms I had written (I heard practically nothing of the
reams of music I was writing then). He said I ought to hear them
because without aural experience it was difficult to link notes and
sounds. Vaughan Williams claimed that the singers weren’t good
enough, to which Bridge retorted that it was up to the R. C. M.
[Royal College of Music] to have a chorus good enough and that he
ought to use his influence.29
Britten showed great interest in Schoenberg’s First Chamber Sympho-
ny and appeared to use it as a model for his first major work, the Sinfoniet-
ta for ten instruments.30 In the end this was to be first performed outside
the college at the public Macnaughten-Lemare concerts, while another later
performance in the College had to be delayed because the performers were
not able to cope with the difficulties. When it came to postgraduate study
Britten wanted to study with Alban Berg, but someone in authority in the
college (rumoured to be the director Hugh Allen) ensured that this was not
going to take place. Bridge also became involved with Britten’s future plans
after he had finished his studies at the Royal College of Music. Britten was
explicit about the situation:
He [Bridge] intervened, with no greater success, when the question
arose of my going on to study with Berg. I had finished at the Col-
lege with a small travelling scholarship and wanted to go to Vien-
na. Bridge greatly admired Berg (he later, after Berg’s death, intro-
duced me to Schoenberg). But, when the College was told, coolness
arose. I think, but cannot be sure, that the Director, Sir Hugh Allen,
put a spoke in the wheel. At any rate, when I said at home during
29 Benjamin Britten, “Early influences: a tribute to Frank Bridge (1879–1941),” (Lon-
don: BBC Broadcast Talk, 9 January 1966). My thanks to Dr Nicholas Clark of the
Britten-Pears Foundation for providing a copy of this text.
30 Erwin Stein, “The Symphonies”, in Benjamin Britten, a commentary on his works
from a group of specialists, eds. Donald Mitchell and Hans Keller (London: Rockliff,
1952), 247; Peter Evans, The Music of Benjamin Britten (London: Dent, 1979), 15–21.
98
