Musical characterisation plays an important role in Britten's operas. The aim of this study was to determine how Britten depicts the diverse, dualistic characters in Billy Budd through music. Ambiguity, which is characteristic of this opera, is the result of the manner in which the plot is portrayed musically through developing motives. The conflict between the diverse characters in Billy Budd is depicted by the thematic material. The musical ideas and motives change as the plot becomes more complex. The method of investigation was, in the first instance, to analyse the musical ideas associated with each character. Second, the manner in which these ideas change through the course of the opera was pointed out. The story does not only concern itself with the relationship between good and evil. The fate of the three main characters, Billy, Vere and Claggart, is precisely the opposite of their true nature. Who they really are, is not reflected in their doings, as depicted by the integrated themes. Billy, the innocent boy, kills. Vere, the father figure, doesn't protect Billy on the day of his conviction. Claggart, who manipulates to have his own way, can't avoid his own death. This study shows that Billy is represented by the stammer figure and Vere by the "Starry Vere" motive. Vere's inner conflict is depicted by the ambiguous combination of a major third and minor third interval. The confusion that eventually leads to Billy's demise is represented by intervals of a perfect fourth, associated with Claggart. During the course of the opera, Vere's music is infiltrated by Claggart's motives. Billy is represented in the opera by the woodwind instruments, Vere by the strings and Claggart by the brass instruments. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Musical characterisation plays an important role in Britten's operas. The aim of this study was to determine how Britten depicts the diverse, dualistic characters in Billy Budd through music. Ambiguity, which is characteristic of this opera, is the result of the manner in which the plot is portrayed musically through developing motives. The conflict between the diverse characters in Billy Budd is depicted by the thematic material. The musical ideas and motives change as the plot becomes more complex. The method of investigation was, in the first instance, to analyse the musical ideas associated with each character. Second, the manner in which these ideas change through the course of the opera was pointed out. The story does not only concern itself with the relationship between good and evil. The fate of the three main characters, Billy, Vere and Claggart, is precisely the opposite of their true nature. Who they really are, is not reflected in their doings, as depicted by the integrated themes. Billy, the innocent boy, kills. Vere, the father figure, doesn't protect Billy on the day of his conviction. Claggart, who manipulates to have his own way, can't avoid his own death. This study shows that Billy is represented by the stammer figure and Vere by the "Starry Vere" motive. Vere's inner conflict is depicted by the ambiguous combination of a major third and minor third interval. The confusion that eventually leads to Billy's demise is represented by intervals of a perfect fourth, associated with Claggart. During the course of the opera, Vere's music is infiltrated by Claggart's motives. Billy is represented in the opera by the woodwind instruments, Vere by the strings and Claggart by the brass instruments. / Thesis (M.Mus.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Caroline Joan Picart, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Program in the Humanities. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 20, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains x, 123 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-106).

abstract: This project covers the transcription of Three Suites for Cello, opp. 72, 80, and 87, by Benjamin Britten, for guitar. These suites were chosen because of the influence of Bach, which is seen in the texture of the pieces, and because they can be played on guitar with very few changes. Music for unaccompanied cello has a history of being transcribed for guitar, including the Bach cello suites, and is a means for guitarists to expand the repertoire. In addition to documenting the changes made in adapting these pieces for guitar, a brief biographical sketch of the composer and descriptions of each movement are included. Also explained are articulation symbols and terminologies that are uncommon in music written for the guitar, and suggestions on how to perform the multitude of ornaments Britten has written in the score. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2012

Benjamin Britten’s life and music have been the subject of study from early in his musical career. Current trends in psychological analysis of Britten’s music tend to focus on common themes, such as homosexuality, pacifism, the sense of the outsider, and the loss of innocence. Similarly, theoretical analyses tend either to provide general categorizations of the technical elements in Britten’s music or to apply a singular preconceived concept as a tool for understanding his compositions. These approaches have yielded significant information but leave aspects of Britten’s personality and music unilluminated. Britten’s Op. 47, Five Flower Songs, are a collection of five part songs for a cappella chorus that are often included within the canon of 20th century choral literature. This paper examines a new perspective on Britten’s music by examining the relationship between Britten’s friendships and their influence on his compositions. Through the examination of these relationships information is revealed that allows for a new method of analysis that is particularly relevant to the Five Flower Songs. The opus was dedicated to two botanists for the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary. Contained within specific movements are extra-musical references to scientific characteristics of the flowers that are the subjects of the texts. By examining this work and important connections between other friendships and his compositional output this paper demonstrates the validity of this perspective in analyzing Britten’s life and music.

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Nocturnal op. 70 is one of the most important large-scale works written for guitar in the twentieth century. Brief biographical data and some background information on Nocturnal show how it exemplifies Britten's compositional approach. The focus of the analysis is on three structural aspects: the rhythmic, the intervallic, and the aspect of underlying pitch patterns. The rhythmic analysis discusses the distortion of rhythmic patterns by the use of compression, expansion, elisions, syncopation, and rhythmic dissonance. The pitch set analysis discusses the intervallic character of the work, identifying and correlating set types as they form networks of relationship. The reductive analysis discusses the underlying connections of focal pitches in the linear material of Nocturnal. The conclusion then correlates the results of the preceding analyses, discussing the large-scale unfolding of the form in Nocturnal.

A concentrated reading of Benjamin Britten's Nocturne through details of the composer's biography can lead to new perspectives on the composer's identity. The method employed broadens current understandings of Britten's personality and its relationship to the music. After creating a context for this kind of work within Britten scholarship, each chapter explores a specific aspect of Britten's identity through the individual songs of the Nocturne. Chapter 2 focuses on how Britten used genres in a pastoral style to create his own British identity. Chapter 3 concentrates on the complex relationship between Britten's homosexuality and his pacifism. Chapter 4 aims to achieve a deeper understanding of Britten's idealization of innocence. The various aspects of Britten's personality are related to one another in the Conclusion.