List of compositions by Benjamin Britten

By genre

Operas

• 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.

• Opera in a prologue and three acts, 147'.
• Libretto by Montagu Slater, after the poem The Borough by George Crabbe.
• Premiered on at Sadler's Wells, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• Opera in two acts, 107'.
• Libretto by Ronald Duncan, after the play Le Viol de Lucrèce by André Obey.
• Premiered on at Glyndebourne.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• Comic opera in three acts, 137'.
• Libretto by Eric Crozier, loosely after the short story Le Rosier de Mme. Husson by Guy de Maupassant.
• Premiered on at Glyndebourne.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• Ballad opera, 108'.
• Libretto after the ballad opera by John Gay.
• Premiered on at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• An Entertainment for Young People, 130'.
• Libretto by Eric Crozier.
• Premiered on at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• Opera in four acts, 162'.
• Libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, after the novella by Herman Melville.
• Premiered on at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• Opera in two acts, 158'.
• Premiered on at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• 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.

• Opera in a prologue and two acts, 101'.
• Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the novella by Henry James.
• Premiered on at Teatro La Fenice, Venice.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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

Chamber/instrumental

Solo piano

• Five Waltzes, for piano
• Three Character Pieces, for piano
• Twelve variations on a theme, for piano
• Holiday Diary, Op. 5, for piano
• Sonatina romantica for piano
• Night-Piece for piano
• Variations for piano

Two pianos

• Two Lullabies for two pianos
• Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca, Op. 23/1, for two pianos
• Mazurka elegiaca, Op. 23/2, for two pianos

Organ

• Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria for organ

String quartet

• String Quartet in F major
• Rhapsody
• Quartettino
• String Quartet in D major
• Alla Marcia
• Three Divertimenti, for string quartet : March, Waltz, Burlesque
• String Quartet No. 1, Op. 25, in D major
• String Quartet No. 2, Op. 36, in C major
• String Quartet No. 3, Op. 94, in G major

Violin and piano

• Suite for Violin and Piano, Op. 6
• Reveille, Concert Study

Viola and piano

• Reflection for viola and piano
• Lachrymae, Op. 48, for viola and piano, after "If my complaints could passions move" by John Dowland; for William Primrose; 1950)
• *arranged for viola and string orchestra, Op. 48a
• There is a willow grows aslant a brook, an arrangement of the orchestral poem by Frank Bridge. The title is taken from Shakespeare, and the arrangement by Britten is dedicated to Bridge.

Violin, viola and piano

• ''Two Pieces''

Solo viola

• Etude
• Elegy

Cello and piano

• Cello Sonata, Op. 65, in C major

Solo cello

• Cello Suite No. 1, Op. 72
• Cello Suite No. 2, Op. 80
• Cello Suite No. 3, Op. 87
• Tema "Sacher" for cello solo

Oboe and piano

• Two Insect Pieces for oboe and piano
• Temporal Variations for oboe and piano

Oboe and strings

• Phantasy Quartet, Op. 2, for oboe, violin, viola, and cello

Solo oboe

• Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49, for solo oboe, with quotations from Ovid's poem ''Metamorphoses''

Flute, violin and piano 4-hands

• Gemini Variations, Op. 73, for flute, violin, and piano four hands

Solo timpani

• Timpani Piece for Jimmy, timpani solo for James Blades

Three trumpets

• Fanfare for St Edmundsbury, short antiphonal and polytonal piece for three trumpets

Guitar

• Nocturnal after John Dowland, Op. 70, for guitar

Harp

• Suite for Solo Harp, Op. 83

Film & drama music

• Night Mail, with words by W. H. Auden
• The Agamemnon of Aeschylus, play by Louis MacNeice
• Love from a Stranger, film directed by Rowland V. Lee
• Out of the Picture, play by Louis MacNeice
• The Sword In The Stone, six-part radio drama
• The Dark Tower, radio play by Louis MacNeice

By opus number

• * No. 1, Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca for two pianos, 1940
• * No. 2, Mazurka elegiaca for two pianos, 1941Op. 24, Matinées musicales for orchestra, 1941Op. 25, String Quartet No. 1, 1941Op. 26, Scottish Ballad for two pianos and orchestra, 1941Op. 27, Occasional Overture, 1941; retitled An American Overture when first performed, 1983Op. 27, Hymn to St Cecilia for SSATB, 1942 Op. 28, A Ceremony of Carols for trebles and harp, 1942Op. 29, Prelude and Fugue for 18 strings, 1943Op. 30, Rejoice in the Lamb for soloists, chorus and organ, 1943Op. 31, Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, song cycle, 1943Op. 32, Festival Te Deum for chorus and organ, 1945Op. 33, Peter Grimes, opera, 1945
• * Op. 33a, Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
• * Op. 33b, Passacaglia from Peter GrimesOp. 34, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell, 1946Op. 35, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for soprano or tenor and piano, 1945Op. 36, String Quartet No. 2, 1945Op. 37, The Rape of Lucretia, opera, 1946, revised 1947Op. 38, Occasional Overture, 1946 Op. 39, Albert Herring, opera, 1947Op. 40, Canticle I: My beloved is mine and I am his for soprano or tenor and piano, 1947Op. 41, A Charm of Lullabies for mezzo soprano and piano, 1947Op. 42, Saint Nicolas for soloists, chorus, strings, piano, percussion and organ, 1948Op. 43, The Beggar's Opera after John Gay, 1948Op. 44, Spring Symphony for soloists, mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, 1949Op. 45, The Little Sweep, opera, 1949Op. 46, A Wedding anthem Amo Ergo Sum for soprano, tenor, SATB and organ, 1949Op. 47, Five Flower Songs for SATB, 1950Op. 48, Lachrymae for viola and piano, 1950
• * Op. 48a, Lachrymae for viola and strings, 1976Op. 49, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for oboe, 1951Op. 50, Billy Budd, opera, 1951, revised 1960Op. 51, Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac for alto, tenor and piano, 1952Op. 52, Winter Words for soprano or tenor and piano, 1953Op. 53, Gloriana, opera, 1953
• * Op. 53a, Symphonic Suite "Gloriana" for tenor or oboe and orchestra, 1954Op. 54, The Turn of the Screw, opera, 1954Op. 55, Canticle III: Still falls the rain for tenor, horn and piano, 1954Op. 56a, Hymn to St Peter for treble, SATB and organ, 1955Op. 56b, Antiphon for SATB and organ, 1955Op. 57, The Prince of the Pagodas, ballet, 1956
• * Op. 57a, Pas de six from The Prince of the PagodasOp. 58, Songs from the Chinese for soprano or tenor and guitar, 1957Op. 59, Noye's Fludde, opera, 1957Op. 60, Nocturne for tenor, 7 obbligato instruments and string orchestra, song cycle, 1958Op. 61, Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente for voice and piano, 1958Op. 62, Cantata academica, 1959Op. 63, Missa brevis for boys' voices and organ, 1959Op. 64, A Midsummer Night's Dream, opera, 1960Op. 65, Sonata for cello and piano, 1961Op. 66, War Requiem, 1961Op. 67, Psalm CL for children's chorus and instruments, 1962Op. 68, Cello Symphony, 1963Op. 69, Cantata misericordium, 1963Op. 70, Nocturnal after John Dowland for guitar, 1963Op. 71, Curlew River, church parable, 1964Op. 72, Cello Suite No. 1, 1964Op. 73, Gemini Variations for flute, violin and piano four hands, 1965Op. 74, Songs and Proverbs of William Blake for baritone and piano, 1965Op. 75, Voices for Today for boys' voices, chorus and organ ad lib, 1965Op. 76, The Poet's Echo for soprano or tenor and piano, 1965Op. 77, The Burning Fiery Furnace, church parable, 1966Op. 78, The Golden Vanity for boys' voices and piano, 1966Op. 79, The Building of the House overture, for chorus or organ or brass and orchestra, 1967Op. 80, Cello Suite No. 2, 1967Op. 81, The Prodigal Son, church parable, 1968Op. 82, Children's Crusade, 1968Op. 83, Suite for Harp, 1969Op. 84, Who Are These Children? for tenor and piano, 1969Op. 85, Owen Wingrave, opera, 1970Op. 86, Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi for countertenor, tenor, baritone and piano, 1971Op. 87, Cello Suite No. 3, 1971Op. 88, Death in Venice, opera, 1973Op. 89, Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus for tenor and harp, 1974Op. 90, A Suite on English Folk Tunes "A Time There Was" for chamber orchestra, 1974Op. 91, Sacred and Profane for five voices, 1975Op. 92, A Birthday Hansel for high voice and harp, 1975Op. 93, Phaedra, cantata, 1975Op. 94, String Quartet No. 3, 1975Op. 95, Welcome Ode for young people's voices and orchestra, 1976