Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

The work that catapulted Britten onto the international music scene was written in answer to an eleventh-hour commission from the Boyd Neel Orchestra, which needed a new work to play at the 1937 Salzburg Festival. One of the landmarks of 20th-century string writing, the piece is a character portrait of Britten’s revered teacher, Frank Bridge. The score has proved attractive to choreographers, including Sir Frederick Ashton, Twyla Tharp and Lew Christensen. An imaginative transcription for two pianos by Colin McPhee is also available through the Boosey & Hawkes Hire Library.