List of compositions by Benjamin Britten


This list of compositions includes all the published works by English composer Benjamin Britten with opus number.

By genre

Operas

Paul Bunyan, Op. 17:
  • Operetta in two acts, 114'.
  • Libretto by W. H. Auden, after the American folktale.
  • Premiered on at Brander Matthews Hall, New York.
  • Published by Faber Music.
Peter Grimes, Op. 33:
The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37:
Albert Herring, Op. 39:
The Beggar's Opera, Op. 43:
Let's Make an Opera , Op. 45:
  • An Entertainment for Young People, 130'.
  • Libretto by Eric Crozier.
  • Premiered on at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival.
  • Published by Boosey & Hawkes.
Billy Budd, Op. 50:
Billy Budd :
  • Opera in two acts, 158'.
  • Premiered on at the Royal Opera House, London.
  • Published by Boosey & Hawkes.
Gloriana, Op. 53:
  • Opera in three acts, 148'.
  • Libretto by William Plomer, after Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey.
  • Premiered on at the Royal Opera House, London.
  • Published by Boosey & Hawkes.
The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54:
Noye's Fludde, Op. 59:
  • Music-theatre for community performance, 50'.
  • Libretto after the Chester Miracle Play as published in English Miracle Plays, Moralities and Interludes
  • Premiered on at Orford Church, Aldeburgh Festival.
  • Published by Boosey & Hawkes.
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64:
  • Opera in three acts, 144'.
  • Libretto by the composer and Peter Pears, after the play by Shakespeare.
  • Premiered on at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival.
  • Published by Boosey & Hawkes.
Owen Wingrave, Op. 85:
  • Opera for television in two acts, 106'.
  • Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the short story by Henry James.
  • Premiered on in a BBC2 TV broadcast. First staged on at the Royal Opera House, London.
  • Published by Faber Music.
Death in Venice, Op. 88:
  • Opera in two acts, 145'.
  • Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the novella by Thomas Mann.
  • Premiered on, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh Festival.
  • Published by Faber Music.

    Church parables

  • Curlew River, based on a Japanese Noh play
  • The Burning Fiery Furnace, after the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3
  • The Prodigal Son, after the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15

    Ballets

  • Plymouth Town
  • The Prince of the Pagodas
  • Les Sylphides after Chopin

    Orchestral

  • "Two Portraits" for string orchestra. No. 2 is subtitled "E.B.B" – his own initials, and thus a self-portrait. No. 3 was unrealised.
  • Sinfonietta, Op. 1, for five winds and five strings, revised for chamber orchestra
  • Simple Symphony, Op. 4, for string orchestra
  • Soirées musicales, Op. 9, after Rossini
  • Russian Funeral, for brass and percussion
  • King Arthur
  • Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, for string orchestra
  • Mont Juic, Op. 12, a suite of Catalan Dances, jointly composed with Lennox Berkeley
  • Canadian Carnival, Op. 19
  • Incidental music to J.B. Priestley's Johnson over Jordan
  • Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20
  • Matinées musicales, Op. 24, after Rossini
  • An American Overture, Op. 27
  • Prelude and Fugue for 18 Strings, Op. 29
  • Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes, Op. 33a & 33b, for orchestra
  • The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34
  • Occasional Overture, Op. 38
  • Men of Goodwill – variations on a Christmas carol
  • Variations on an Elizabethan Theme, jointly composed with Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Oldham, Humphrey Searle, Michael Tippett and William Walton
  • Symphonic Suite from Gloriana, Op. 53a
  • Suite on English Folk Tunes, A Time There Was..., Op. 90, for chamber orchestra

    Concertante

  • Rondo Concertante for piano and strings
  • Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. "Instrumentation...virtually 100% Britten".
  • Piano Concerto, Op. 13
  • Violin Concerto, Op. 15
  • Young Apollo, Op. 16, for piano, string quartet and string orchestra
  • Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra, Op. 21
  • Scottish Ballad, Op. 26, for two pianos and orchestra
  • Clarinet Concerto
  • In memoriam Dennis Brain, unfinished sketch for four horns and orchestra.
  • Cello Symphony, Op. 68

    Vocal/choral orchestral

  • Quatre Chansons Françaises for soprano and orchestra
  • Two Psalms for chorus and orchestra
  • Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8, for soprano or tenor and orchestra
  • The Company of Heaven for speakers, soloists, chorus and orchestra
  • The World of the Spirit for speakers, SATB soloists, chorus and orchestra
  • Ballad of Heroes, Op. 14, for tenor or soprano, chorus and orchestra
  • Les Illuminations, Op. 18, for soprano or tenor and strings
  • Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Op. 31
  • The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard for male voice choir and piano
  • The Rescue of Penelope for voices and orchestra
  • Saint Nicolas, Op. 42, for tenor soloist, children's chorus, chorus, and orchestra
  • Spring Symphony, Op. 44, for soprano, contralto, and tenor soloists, mixed chorus, boys' choir and orchestra
  • Nocturne, Op. 60, for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings
  • Cantata academica, Op. 62, for soloists, chorus and orchestra
  • War Requiem, Op. 66, for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chamber ensemble, boys' chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra
  • Cantata misericordium, Op. 69, for tenor and baritone soloists, small chorus, string quartet, string orchestra, piano, harp, timpani
  • Phaedra, Op. 93, for mezzo-soprano, cello, harpsichord, percussion, and string orchestra
  • Praise we great men for soloists, chorus and orchestra
  • Welcome Ode, Op. 95, for young people's voices and orchestra

    Vocal

  • Beware! Three Early Songs for voice and piano "Beware!" "O that I had ne'er been Married" "Epitaph: The Clerk" "A Song of Enchantment" "Autumn" "Silver" "Vigil"
  • The Birds
  • On this Island, Op. 11, for high voice and piano
  • Fish in the Unruffled Lakes
  • Cabaret Songs for medium voice and piano
  • Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo, Op. 22, for tenor and piano
  • The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35, for tenor and piano
  • Canticle I: My beloved is mine and I am his, Op. 40, for high voice and piano
  • A Charm of Lullabies, Op. 41, for mezzo-soprano and piano
  • Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op. 51, for alto, tenor, and piano
  • Canticle III: Still falls the rain, Op. 55, for tenor, horn and piano
  • Winter Words, Op. 52, for tenor and piano, poetry by Thomas Hardy
  • The Heart of the Matter for narrator, tenor, horn, and piano
  • Songs from the Chinese, Op. 58, for soprano or tenor and guitar, Op. 58
  • Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente, Op. 61, for tenor and piano
  • Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, Op. 74, for baritone and piano
  • The Poet's Echo, Op. 76, for soprano or tenor and piano
  • Who Are These Children?, Op. 84, for tenor and piano
  • Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi, Op. 86, for countertenor, tenor, baritone, and piano
  • Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus, Op. 89, for tenor and harp
  • A Birthday Hansel, Op. 92, for high voice and harp
  • Eight books of Folksong Arrangements from the British Isles and France, for voice and piano, guitar and harp
  • Britten's Purcell Realizations, many realizations of songs by Henry Purcell for voice and piano

    Choral

  • A Hymn to the Virgin for chorus and soli
  • Christ's Nativity for unaccompanied chorus
  • A Boy Was Born, Op. 3, for children's chorus and mixed choir
  • Jubilate Deo in E-flat for chorus and organ
  • Te Deum in C for treble solo, chorus, trumpet, and organ
  • Friday Afternoons, Op. 7, for children's voices and piano
  • Advance Democracy for unaccompanied choir
  • A.M.D.G., seven settings of Gerard Manley Hopkins for unaccompanied SATB
  • Hymn to St Cecilia, Op. 27, for unaccompanied choir
  • A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28, for treble voices and harp ; an alternative arrangement for mixed voices and harp is popular as well
  • Rejoice in the Lamb, Op. 30, for four soloists, choir, and organ
  • Festival Te Deum, Op. 32, in E for chorus and organ
  • A Wedding anthem 'Amo Ergo Sum' , Op. 46, for soprano, tenor, SATB and organ
  • Five Flower Songs, Op. 47, for SATB
  • Hymn to St Peter, Op. 56a, for treble soloist, mixed chorus and organ
  • Antiphon, Op. 56b, for SATB and organ
  • Missa Brevis, Op. 63, for boys' voices and organ
  • Jubilate Deo for chorus and organ
  • Fancie, for unison voices and piano
  • A Hymn of St Columba for chorus and organ
  • Voices for Today, Op. 75, for children's chorus, mixed chorus and organ ad lib
  • The Golden Vanity, Op. 78, for five boy soloists, treble chorus and piano
  • The Building of the House, Op. 79, for chorus or organ or brass and orchestra
  • Children's Crusade, Op. 82, for nine boy soloists and chorus, percussion, organ and two pianos
  • Sacred and Profane, Op. 91, for SSATB