Benjamin Britten: A Biography

Uses Britten's diaries, letters, and manuscripts to offer a personal glimpse of the British composer, discusses the impact of his homosexuality on his life, and looks at his major compositions

A first-rate, if somewhat less than magisterial, treatment by Carpenter (The Brideshead Generation, 1990, etc.) of the life and works of one of the 20th century's towering musical figures--the man who put English music firmly on the larger European map. This is like a run-through of a great symphony by a major orchestra under a more-than-adequate international conductor. All the notes--Carpenter's prodigious research--are firmly in place. The major themes--Britten's overly doting relationship with his mother; his artistic preoccupation with the loss of innocence, which may have stemmed from childhood sexual abuse; his homosexual ``marriage'' to Peter Pears; his indiscrete relationships with young boys; his pacifism; his generosity and his selfishness; his depression and physical illnesses, all transcended by a phenomenal artistic (and especially compositional) energy that allowed him to turn out a staggering series of major and minor works in an unusually full 63 years of life--are crisp, clear, and skillfully played. Above all, Carpenter's respect for the intelligence of his readers shines through, causing him to eschew facile interpretation. And yet. Not only is the narrative overlong (much incidental detail), but the final stamp of passionate identification with the subject is absent. Britten's sparse anecdotes about homosexual rape by a schoolmaster, for example, are handled with exquisite discretion but lead to only a jarring, unnecessary inquiry (``Could they have both been fantasies on Britten's part, sparked off while his imagination was at work on his operas?''). Even readers who answer ``Not bloody likely'' have a right to the author's judgment on such matters. Not written merely from the card index--the book's a good deal better than that, and will be required reading by anyone seriously interested in its subject. But the sense that Carpenter has put his heart into perfect sync with Britten's own faulty organ isn't there. (Three 16-page photo inserts--not seen) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

This new biography is typical of the author's style: comprehensive, probing, and objective. Access to materials from the estate of renowned English composer Edward Benjamin Britten (1913-76) enabled Carpenter to write an enlightening study that focuses on Britten's homosexuality and how it influenced his work. Throughout his life, Britten achieved significant accomplishments yet never felt completely accepted. He followed a strict code of perfectionism, suffered from bouts of depression, and found it difficult to "loosen up." Wrapped around his spirit, though, was the peculiar thrust of artistic drive that is so characteristic of brilliance. Britten received accolades during his lifetime, but full appreciation and acknowledgement did not come until after his death. While much has been written about Britten in the past 17 years, Carpenter's book is an important contribution. Highly recommended. Music Book Society main selection.
- Kathleen Sparkman, Baylor Univ., Waco, Tex.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.