Carnegie Hall

In 1939, as war in Europe headed toward inevitability, British composer Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)—like Hungarian Béla Bartók (1881–1945) soon after him—left his home in England and came to North America. He spent much of his exile in Amityville on Long Island, about 40 miles from New York City.

The 26-year-old Britten was in the audience at Carnegie Hall on March 28, 1940, for the world premiere of his Violin Concerto with soloist Antonio Brosa and the New York Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli. “I felt I had to write and tell you how overjoyed I was with both your splendid shows of my concerto,” remarked Britten to Barbirolli in a letter afterward.

Britten came back to Carnegie Hall one year later on March 29, 1941, to hear the world premiere of his Sinfonia da Requiem, again given by Barbirolli and the Philharmonic. In 1942, his homesickness having overridden other concerns, Britten returned to England.

Nearly 20 of Britten’s compositions received important premieres at Carnegie Hall, including the following:

• Passacaglia and Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (New York Premiere) with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitsky: March 13, 1946
• A Boy Was Born (US Premiere), with The Collegiate Chorale conducted by Robert Shaw: December 23, 1946
• Piano Concerto No. 1 (New York Premiere) with soloist Jacques Abram and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leopold Stokowski: November 24, 1949
• Spring Symphony (New York Premiere), with soprano Mary Henderson, contralto Jean Handzlik, tenor Joseph Laderoute, organist Owen Brady, the St. Bernard’s School Chorus, Schola Cantorum of New York, and members of the New York Philharmonic conducted by Hugh Ross: February 16, 1951
• Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente (New York Premiere), with soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and pianist John Wustman: November 30, 1962
• Our Hunting Fathers (New York Premiere), with soprano Heather Harper and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati: April 30, 1965
• Three Suites for Solo Cello (all US Premieres) with Britten’s friend Mstislav Rostropovich, for whom they were written: December 17, 1965 (No. 1); May 2, 1969 (No. 2); and February 27, 1975 (No. 3)
• Billy Budd (US premiere) with tenor Richard Lewis (Captain Vere), baritone Robert Kerns (Billy Budd), bass Forbes Robinson (Claggart), and the American Opera Society conducted by Sir Georg Solti: January 4, 1966

Photography: Britten by Roland Haupt.