Benjamin Britten changed the face of British music. 50 years after his death, the depth and complexity of his musical world continue to resonate. Internationally celebrated cellist Guy Johnston and acclaimed pianist Melvyn Tan perform a programme of Britten’s work, alongside readings of work by Britten, Virginia Woolf and W. H. Auden by actor Samuel West. They will explore Britten’s intense collaborations with the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and poet W.H. Auden, alongside the music of Tchaikovsky, a composer close to Britten’s heart and with who he shared similar emotional turmoil. Together, these works offer a portrait of Britten through the people, ideas and music that shaped him. The programme includes Britten Sonata for Cello and Piano, Suite No. 3 for Solo Cello, Tchaikovsky “Autumn” and words by Benjamin Britten, Virginia Woolf and W.H. Auden. There will be a pre-show talk about the programme by Paul Boucher, curator and research director of The Montagu Music Collection at Boughton House.
