Britten

by Imogen Holst

Hardcover

90 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1970

About the author

Imogen Clare Holst CBE (12 April 1907 – 9 March 1984) was a British composer, arranger, conductor, teacher, musicologist and festival administrator; and the only child of the composer Gustav Holst.

She is particularly known for her educational work at Dartington Hall in the 1940s, and for her 20 years as joint artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival.

In addition to composing music, she wrote composer biographies, much educational material and several books on the life and works of her father.

Reviews

[J Grimsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little introduction by Holst's elfin daughter who worked with Britten for years

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Numerous music historians written biographies about the English composer Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976).
This biography is particularly interesting because the author was an accomplished composer herself.
Imogen Holst (1907 - 1984) was the daughter of Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), and she became very familiar with numerous aspects of the history of classical music as well as the processes by which composers develop their own unique styles when she was relatively young.
Anyone who is interested in 20th century European classical music will thoroughly enjoy reading Imogen Holst's biography of Benjamin Britten.