Classical Music | Piano Music

Benjamin Britten

Early Morning Bathe, from Holiday Diary, Op. 5 No. 1  Play

Steven Vanhauwaert Piano

Recorded on 06/05/2013, uploaded on 12/09/2013

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

November 22, 2013 marks the centennial of Benjamin Britten, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential British composers. He was himself an excellent pianist, but apart from some early works such as the Holiday Diary, the Piano Concerto, and the Young Apollo, he composed very little for piano. In a 1963 BBC interview, he stated that he thought of it as a ‘background instrument.’ Some of his early piano works display a dashing, virtuosic style, and the Holiday Diary with its lively rhythmic impetus is no exception. All the works in the cycle are inspired by activities Britten enjoyed during his summer seaside vacations. The waltzes opus 5 were written when Britten was only 12, and even though he jokingly states that “here was - I am afraid - no Mozart,” they provide an early look at his characteristic wit and elegance.     Steven Vanhauwaert