Journeying Boy

by Benjamin Britten

Best remembered for his operas and his War Requiem, Benjamin Britten's radical politics and his sexuality have also ensured that he remains a controversial public figure. This title presents a selection of his diaries that offer readers an insight into this complex man.

Genres: Music

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, Order of Merit, Order of the Companions of Honour, was an English composer, conductor, and pianist.

Britten's interests as a composer were wide-ranging; he produced important music in such varied genres as orchestral, choral, solo vocal, chamber and instrumental, as well as film music. He also took a great interest in writing music for children and amateur performers, and was a fine pianist and conductor.

Reviews

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of book is only really good if you're a diehard Britten fan like me, but if you *are* a diehard Britten fan like me, these diaries are like snorting hard drugs on a bad day. It covers his diaries from when he was 15 until he was 25 (so right before he met Pears and before he went to the US). The endnotes are kept at the end of each section, which can be a bit of a pain, but they're also not intrusive, so that's nice! It's very fun to see the contrast between an excited prep school Ben and him later on as a working professional. Also very fun is to see his slow recognition of his queerness, and it's very funny to see him grossed out at "typical" (heterosexual) displays of sexuality and then go "I'm being converted" whenever his London queer friends (Auden/Isherwood) introduce him to things. As you may expect, most of the diaries are about his shedding, performances, and opinions about classical music, which are always fascinating to read.

If you are a Britten fan and want to see cute baby teenage Ben develop into a crass young adult, this is the book for you!