Benjamin Britten (1913–76) was an English composer, conductor and pianist, and a central figure in 20th-century British classical music. His wide compositional range includes opera, orchestral, choral, solo vocal, chamber, instrumental and film music. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. His best-known works include the operas Peter Grimes (1945) and Billy Budd (1951), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1945). Recurring themes in his operas are the struggle of an outsider against a hostile society, and the corruption of innocence. He wrote copiously for children and amateur performers, including the opera Noye's Fludde, a Missa Brevis, and the song collection Friday Afternoons. Britten often composed with particular performers in mind, most importantly his personal and professional partner, the tenor Peter Pears, with whom he co-founded the annual Aldeburgh Festival in 1948; the pair were responsible for the creation of its Snape Maltings concert hall in 1967. In 1976 Britten became the first composer to be awarded a life peerage.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Britten
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
498:
Following the death of Anastasius II, both Symmachus and Laurentius were elected pope, causing a schism that would last until 506. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope_Laurentius
1635:
Dutch colonial forces on Taiwan launched a three-month pacification campaign against Taiwanese aborigines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_pacification_campaign_on_Formosa
1963:
Hours after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in aboard Air Force One as the 36th President of the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy
1988:
The first B-2 stealth bomber of the United States Air Force was first displayed in public at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_B-2_Spirit
2005:
Angela Merkel assumed office as the first female Chancellor of Germany. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
zygon: 1. (anatomy) In the cerebrum, the short crossbar or stem that connects the two pairs of branches of an H-shaped fissure. 2. (music) An affinity or connection in a piece of music between tones, chords, or phrases, such that one part appears to repeat, to imitate, or to derive from the other, especially when perceived as an organising force in the music. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zygon
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
It should be clear by now that a nation can be no stronger abroad than she is at home. Only an America which practices what it preaches about equal rights and social justice will be respected by those whose choice affects our future. Only an America which has fully educated its citizens is fully capable of tackling the complex problems and perceiving the hidden dangers of the world in which we live. And only an America which is growing and prospering economically can sustain the worldwide defenses of freedom, while demonstrating to all concerned the opportunities of our system and society. --John F. Kennedy https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy