An in-depth portrait of one of England's greatest composers. Winner of the Prix Italia.
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Title: Benjamin Britten: A Time There Was... (TV Movie 1979)
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Cast
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Janet Baker | ... |
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Julian Bream | ... |
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Barbara Britten | ... |
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Benjamin Britten | ... | |
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Robert Britten | ... |
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Imogen Holst | ... |
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Peter Pears | ... |
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Svyatoslav Richter | ... |
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John Shirley-Quirk | ... |
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Featuring: Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Britten, Barbara Britten, Sviatoslav Richter, Janet Baker, Julian Bream, Heather Harper, John Shirley-Quirk, Imogen Holst, Rosamund Strode, Rudolf Bing, Henry Moore, Paul Rotha, Beata Mayer, David Rothman, The English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Stewart Bedford. With Music from: 'Peter Grimes' 'The Rape of Lucretia' 'Billy Budd' 'Turn of the Screw' 'Noye's Fludde' 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' 'Curlew River' 'The Burning Fiery Furnace' 'Death in Venice' 'War Requiem' 'Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra' and many more... Winner of the Prix Italia Written by Anonymous
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time in title | ellipsis in title | documentary subject's name in title |Genres:
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Language:
EnglishCompany Credits
Production Co:
Isolde Films, London Weekend Television (LWT), RM Productions Fernseh- und Filmgesellschaft mbH See more »
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1.78 : 1Frequently Asked Questions
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This late-70s TV film is composed mostly of clips/interviews with people who knew Britten, including most poignantly his lifelong companion Sir Peter Pears; some of the comments made are funny or heartwarming, but alas very little in this film is truly illuminating or intellectually discerning -- it's a very basic point-by-point account of Britten's life that just touches on the basics, nevermind giving us any actual insight into the man's deeper personality, his conflicts over his sexuality, or most importantly his music. His great contemporaries and (presumable) influences Elgar, Delius, Holst and Bridge are barely mentioned; lesser luminaries of the British scene and other significant composers from abroad including his great friend Shostakovich are either ignored completely or touched on only in passing. The great conflicts in Britten's music between the conservative and the avant-garde, the melodic and rapturous, the sacred music and the secular man, are nowhere to be found. Although I enjoyed a lot of the reminiscences of friends and family, personal observations only go so far when trying to describe a man as difficult, intense and many-sided as Britten. To me this is the greatest of all English composers, but this documentary is a poor starting point for those ignorant of his genius and certainly offers nothing to the specialist.