Benjamin Britten "A Failure" Documentary Part 1

[@phaidonnikolaus9841]

I FIND THIS INCREDIBLY SAD. THE NEGATIVE COMMENTATORS WILL ALL BE DUST AND ASHES AND NO MORE WHILE BRITTEN WILL REMAIN AS HE IS. A GREAT COMPOSER! DO ALLOW PEOPLE THEIR LOVES WITHOUT HAVING TO DESTROY THEM BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN INADEQUACIES.

[@FaDiezeMineur]

All this "documentary" proves is that Britten was right when he said that critics were "vermin, living on others' leavings".

[@thomastereszkiewicz2241]

The man was by no means a failure. The music, Curlew River, which supposedly demonstrates that he was a failure is a powerful and moving piece which I was lucky enough to see twice. It's an attention gimmick calling him a failure, and it's not true.

[@mckavitt13]

And the magnificent WAR REQUIEM!

[@garryhumphreys3054]

Tom Sutcliffe, failed countertenor ...

[@AntPDC]

What a catty little piece this is. Thanks for uploading though - always good to get a different perspective, even if egregiously batty :)

[@enriquesanchez2001]

Sutcliffe will be forgotten the moment he leaves this Earth.

[@SimonMackUK77]

Britten s music endures: his lesser known works are to date some his very best: Violin Concerto, his three String Quartets, Serenade for Tenor,Horn ,Les Illuminations. All are absolute cornerstones of classical music. His personal life choices are sometimes unfortunate but.. Britten s music remains powerful and poetic.

[@Mackeson3]

Britten had dried up by the 1940? What about War Requiem?

[@criostoirfolkfiddle]

This should be called 'A Failed Documentary'. Utter rubbish. Benjamin Britten is arguably one of the greatest Composer's of the 20th Century, and most people with Classical knowledge know this. Obviously, apart from the maker of this Documentary!

[@mckavitt]

Chris Bartlett A good one! 😂

[@jasonkennedy9143]

what he do, kill your dog?

[@jslasher1]

Dreadful documentary.

[@zosimos102]

PS. More great stuff he did after 40: cello suites, cello symphony, lots of liturgical music that still forms part of the repertoire in British cathedral choirs. Also, I forgot midsummer nights dream. Yes, his most creative period was up unit 40, but most composers have a magic decade or two. As listeners of music, we do not worry about the chronology of pieces. Britten left us with many great pieces. He was not a failure, but a great composer.

[@mckavitt13]

Every musical example of Britten's so called failure belies the claim. Utterly beautiful, essential, even sublime... straight to the end. But I think the documentary is interesting & am glad that our democracy doesn't deprive us of it. We are free to think what we wish, are stimulated by it (yea or nay), &, if opposed, perhaps amused (if not disgusted). Poor pedants.

[@pianobanter]

In context, the documentary was part of an art series called Without Walls: J'accuse. Rounding up various critics, commentators and iconoclasts reassessing the reputations of sacred cows. Leonardo Da Vinci, Philip Larkin, Laurence Olivier, Van Gogh and Citizen Kane (Britten in good company then) This was no exception. Tom Sutcliffe, tenor turned critic (usually means a failure right there) comes across snobbish, pompous, invidious and puritan (he was also a member of the general synod no less). I wonder if Channel 4 paid a handsome piece of silver for their contributions. It was, as tv art shows go, a more serious study but also with a bit of sensationlism with its skewed contrariness. The knives were out. i do agree however, that Ben's earlier work is more interesting, vibrant and energetic which is often the case with anyone. But critics are rather like eunichs in a harem. They are there every night, they see it done every night but they can't really do it themselves. In a top 5 of English classical composers, Britten is there. A great achievement.

[@BILLYKARLOFF]

Yes, did you work on the series?

[@TheRobertcrow]

Instead of removing the recent Britten's Children from KZbin which vanished yesterday why doesn't someone remove this awful documentary instead?

[@johnrandolph6121]

Just to let you know, Britten's Children, which is a great film, is now available on DVD. That is probably why it was taken down. I would encourage everyone who likes Britten to get a copy of this fine film.

[@mckavitt]

+John Randolph Fortunately, i downloaded it Immediately.

[@kennethdower7425]

@@mckavitt Wow, I'd love to see it. Could you possibly put it in a cloud storage and share the link? It would be most appreciated!

[@mckavitt]

Kenneth Dower I THINK it’s already in Cloud storage. Dunno about the link or how to get it. Will try.

[@mckavitt]

Can you send me your email, because in Cloud they ask me to send it TO? Maybe that’s what they mean?

[@zosimos102]

This documentary inspired me to search out "late Britten". It is great. Very different from early Britten. I also prefer the early Britten: the violin and Piano concerto, sinfonia de requiem, young Apollo etc. However, his later style is also great. The operas are wonderful; death in Venice, Owen wingrave, Gloriana, midsummer nights dream.This documentary is rubbish. , :

[@michelcouzijn5862]

This documentary is four years old. Has Mr. Tom Sutcliffe already sought professional help for his attention-seeking condition?

[@jackiehayden2874]

Did Sutcliffe know that Britten's disciples were too immature to handle any criticism of their "hero"?

[@zosimos102]

People may like or dislike Britten's music, as with any other composer. However, these 4 people who I have never heard of should be ashamed of themselves if they are still alive. History has proven them wrong; Billy Budd has become become a classic, Gloriana was recently revived. The war requiem is regularly performed. His song writing may have declined, buy his string quartets got much better, no 3 his best by far. Lots of composers have flawed characters, but its the music that matters.

[@TheValdoe]

This isn't the film that was shown some years ago in Channel 4's "Reputations" slot, is it? I found myself agreeing with a lot of it, and since I didn't know him personally I can't be accused of any animus! There are many Britten-worshippers, but many others who have big problems with him. He does seem to have been a pretty odd character, and often most unpleasant to deal with.

[@Paulkazey1]

Britten was a genius and little men hate them.

[@FaDiezeMineur]

Late Britten is only a little more difficult (except perhaps Gloriana and MND), for me his last works needed more repeated listenings to be able to appreciate them; but they are worth every effort.

[@271250cl]

The film is a polemicand puts a one-sided case, but that was the point of the 'J' Accuse' series - to get people to reconsider the position of artists who enjoy unquestioned and possibly exaggerated reputations. The closing remark about the superiority of VW to BB was irrelevant, though, since the two composers can't be compared: They're from different generations and in any case BB's reputation rests mostly on opera and concertos; RVW's mostly upon orchestral music and the symphony.

[@christopherhill2786]

How can the composer of the War Requiem be considered a failure!!!!

[@BILLYKARLOFF]

It was made to stimulate your comment

[@agsmusicchannel4438]

'Peter Grimes' instead of something (anything) by Rossini, or 'Merrie England' - outrageous! 2:10 - I lost interest at that point.

[@ESBFratello]

This documentary is a flawed, untruthful account being told from the perspective of sour critical bigots who where cast aside by Britten for being themselves useless and unable to recognise the sheer beauty, magic and individuality of Britten as a composer and as a person.

[@plumjam]

I would like to like Britten, and have tried hard with him. However, I'm not aware of a single memorable melody that came from his pen. His music is cold, and none of it has ever really moved me. That someone like that can be seriously described as England's greatest composer is just laughable. I think he was someone who slotted nicely into the musical academic fashion of the day, and that's about it.

[@mckavitt]

I find this documentary interesting even if I disagree w much of it. Why not question a beloved but misunderstood composer's music, not all of which is yet "established"? Britten is my favourite, but I don't begrudge this analysis. It energises me to study Britten, esp the late works, even more closely. Take the 3rd String Quartet, Phaedra, & Death in Venice, for ex. His Purcell realisations are miraculous fun & ingeniously written for the piano, nor do I agree w s.o. on here who finds The Turn of the Screw strange. How so?

[@onnoalink6694]

I have always admired BB's music and think he was a real genius. Billy Budd is one of the greatest opera of the 20th century, but the later music of BB has often creeped me out. I once walked out of a performance of Curlew River, cause I couldn't stand the vocal writing. Although Britten maintained the highest level of composing till the end, in the 60ties and early 70ties he - IMHO - often showed a cold and sinister sphere, which I never could quite understand. Now I do. Only at the very end of his life, he showed signs of relaxation and perhaps acceptance.

[@rvaughanwilliams1988]

I was so happy to see a Britten documentary on youtube ... I am sorry it had to be this. Britten's greatest works are Death in Venice and the Third Quartet, this is all a load of rot.

[@edmund184]

I agree with the documentary.

[@mckavitt]

I do not agree with the documentary, but freedom of expression allows, i hope, for fruitful argument, disagreement & discussion.

[@mckavitt]

You mention "pederasty' whilst showing Jon Vickers, who plays the role anything but, both verbally disagreeing w that interpretation & menacing anyone w death who dared to see in his Grimes such a figure.

[@aviuscomposer2605]

Nonce, is a more honest description!

[@bratschekind]

Why did you waste your time making this video? Most people just don't listen to the music they don't care for.

[@ginacecilia]

what am I watching

[@BILLYKARLOFF]

yes you got the point thank you

[@TheValdoe]

He also legged it to America to save his skin as soon as there was any threat of war. Some of his orchestral music is wonderful, if somewhat overwrought, but personally I shall never sit through another of his operas. Life isn't long enough. There is something clammy and embarrassing about him. Not my bag.

[@jcholroyd5598]

So, was Britten a nonce?

[@cstoreyqc]

It is a curious film, but then Britten was a very strange man. He was an outsider in every part of his life , and this is reflected in the texts he chose to set , some with brilliance such as Peter Grimes, but others with very limited appeal such as Gloriana or The Turn of the Screw . That he was an outsider was, sadly, very largely his own fault , picking up friends such as Charles Mackerras and John Cranko and then dropping them for no good reason . The film seems to me to reflect both the brilliant and the unsavoury sides of Britten's life fairly faithfully

[@edmund184]

he was deeply selfish man, to put it more accurately. I can see none of the greatness claimed for him in the music. Some of the String Quartets are good but the War Requiem is only good in parts. So much of the work is serious without being profound. Never wrote a timeless tune either.

[@cstoreyqc]

A wonderfully intelligent comment to add to the debate

[@mckavitt]

cstoreyqc Charles Mackerras, a fine conductor, admitted to finding, w his buddies, BB’s homosexuality “amusing”. What’s amusing about it?! Not one iota more amusing than his own heterosexuality. Britten had a reason for dropping him, believe me. That & other knife in the back comments merited his at least being dropped. PS. I beg also to disagree w you on BB’s The Turn of the Screw, a brilliant opera, right up there w A Mid Summer Night’s Dream!

[@bratschekind]

Troll.

[@WCaron23001]

What a lousy critique posing as truth

[@ppwalk05]

7:50 wise words from Auden