tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-1149633547830730572006-06-06T23:39:00.000+01:002006-06-06T23:39:00.000+01:00Britten is indeed one of the great composers although given the infrequency of performances of some of his non operatic works..eg the Piano Concerto to choose one masterpiece at random, one wouldn't always think so.<BR/>However the great modern obsession with great artists' private lives doesn't seem to me to help very much in understanding their works.<BR/>Are we really any closer to understanding Graham Greene for example after having his life examined at quite excessive length in 3 volumes of biography?<BR/>Same with BB...does a book telling us about his interest in young males shed much light on his music...you could work out from the operas he wrote that he was a homosexual, why do we need a book telling us all about this, however well written and compasionate?<BR/>Personally I'd rather spend the money on going to a concert or buying a cd of BB's music.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com