Sinfonietta (Britten)


's Sinfonietta was composed in 1932, while he was a student at the Royal College of Music, aged 18. It was first performed in 1933. It was published as his Op. 1 and dedicated to his teacher Frank Bridge.

Instrumentation

It was originally written for five winds and five strings: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, two violins, viola, cello and double bass. In February 1936, Britten revised the score for a small chamber orchestra with two horns. However, this was only performed once during Britten's life.

Movements

A typical performance takes about 15 minutes. The movements are headed:
  1. Poco presto ed agitato
  2. Variations, andante lento
  3. Tarantella
The first movement is in sonata form. The music writer Erwin Stein has suggested that the whole work is modelled on the Chamber Symphony No. 1 of 1906 by Arnold Schoenberg.
In 1937, before Britten departed for America, his friend W. H. Auden inscribed his poem "It's Farewell to the Drawing-room's Civilised Cry" on the fly-leaf of a miniature score of the Sinfonietta. Britten was touched by the gesture.