List of compositions by Benjamin Britten

Paul Bunyan, Op. 17:

• Operetta in two acts, 114'.
• Libretto by W. H. Auden, after the American folktale.
• Premiered on 5 May 1941 at Brander Matthews Hall, New York.
• Published by Faber Music.

Peter Grimes, Op. 33:

• Opera in a prologue and three acts, 147'.
• Libretto by Montagu Slater, after the poem The Borough by George Crabbe.
• Premiered on 7 June 1945 at Sadler's Wells, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

The Rape of Lucretia, Op. 37:

• Opera in two acts, 107'.
• Libretto by Ronald Duncan, after the play Le Viol de Lucrèce by André Obey.
• Premiered on 12 July 1946 at Glyndebourne.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Albert Herring, Op. 39:

• Comic opera in three acts, 137'.
• Libretto by Eric Crozier, loosely after the short story Le Rosier de Mme. Husson by Guy de Maupassant.
• Premiered on 20 June 1947 at Glyndebourne.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

The Beggar's Opera, Op. 43:

• Ballad opera, 108'.
• Libretto after the ballad opera by John Gay.
• Premiered on 24 May 1948 at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Let's Make an Opera (The Little Sweep), Op. 45:

• An Entertainment for Young People, 130'.
• Libretto by Eric Crozier.
• Premiered on 14 June 1949 at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Billy Budd, Op. 50:

• Opera in four acts, 162'.
• Libretto by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, after the novella by Herman Melville.
• Premiered on 1 December 1951 at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Billy Budd (revised):

• Opera in two acts, 158'.
• Premiered on 9 January 1964 at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Gloriana, Op. 53:

• Opera in three acts, 148'.
• Libretto by William Plomer, after Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey.
• Premiered on 8 June 1953 at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54:

• Opera in a prologue and two acts, 101'.
• Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the novella by Henry James.
• Premiered on 14 September 1954 at Teatro La Fenice, Venice.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Noye's Fludde, Op. 59:

• Music-theatre for community performance, 50'.
• Libretto after the Chester Miracle Play as published in English Miracle Plays, Moralities and Interludes
• Premiered on 18 June 1958 at Orford Church, Aldeburgh Festival.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 64:

• Opera in three acts, 144'.
• Libretto by the composer and Peter Pears, after the play by Shakespeare.
• Premiered on 11 June 1960 at Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh Festival.
• Published by Boosey & Hawkes.

Owen Wingrave, Op. 85:

• Opera for television in two acts, 106'.
• Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the short story by Henry James.
• Premiered on 16 May 1971 in a BBC2 TV broadcast. First staged on 10 May 1973 at the Royal Opera House, London.
• Published by Faber Music.

Death in Venice, Op. 88:

• Opera in two acts, 145'.
• Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after the novella by Thomas Mann.
• Premiered on 16 June 1973, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh Festival.
• Published by Faber Music.

• Curlew River (Op. 71; 1964), based on a Japanese Noh play
• The Burning Fiery Furnace (Op. 77; 1966), after the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3
• The Prodigal Son (Op. 81; 1968), after the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15

• Plymouth Town (ballet for small orchestra; 1931)
• The Prince of the Pagodas (1956)
• Les Sylphides after Chopin (1940)

• "Two Portraits" for string orchestra (1930). No. 2 is subtitled "E.B.B" – his own initials, and thus a self-portrait (also arr. for viola and strings). No. 3 was unrealised.
• Sinfonietta Op. 1, for five winds and five strings (1932), revised for chamber orchestra (1936)
• Simple Symphony for string orchestra (1934)
• Soirées musicales, after Rossini (1936)
• King Arthur (suite for orchestra, arranged from incidental music for a BBC Radio production by Paul Hindmarsh, 1937/ 2005)
• Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge for string orchestra (1937)
• Mont Juic, a suite of Catalan Dances, jointly composed with Lennox Berkeley (1937)
• Canadian Carnival (1939)
• Sinfonia da Requiem (1940)
• Matinées musicales, after Rossini (1941)
• An American Overture (1941)
• Prelude and Fugue for 18 Strings (1943)
• Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes, for orchestra (1945)
• The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1946)
• Occasional Overture (1946)
• Men of Goodwill – variations on a Christmas carol (1947)
• Variations on an Elizabethan Theme, jointly composed with Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Oldham, Humphrey Searle, Michael Tippett and William Walton (1953)
• Symphonic Suite from Gloriana (1954)
• Suite on English Folk Tunes, A Time There Was... for chamber orchestra (1966/1974)

• Rondo Concertante for piano and strings (1930)
• Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (1932). "Instrumentation...virtually 100% Britten" (Matthews, Erato sleeve note, 1999 – Colin Matthews realised the orchestration).
• Piano Concerto (1938; rev. 1945, the original third movement – Recitative and Aria – replaced by an Impromptu)
• Violin Concerto (1939; rev. 1958)
• Young Apollo for piano, string quartet and string orchestra (1939)
• Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra (1940; rev. 1954)
• Scottish Ballad for two pianos and orchestra (1941)
• Clarinet Concerto (incomplete: 1st movement only, 1942/3, orch. by Colin Matthews, who later added two further movements from 1940s Britten sketches, incl. Sonata for Orchestra; resulting work, Movements for a Clarinet Concerto, first published 2008)
• In memoriam Dennis Brain (c. 1958), unfinished sketch for four horns and orchestra.
• Cello Symphony (1963)

• Quatre Chansons Françaises for soprano and orchestra (1928)
• Two Psalms for chorus and orchestra (1931)
• Our Hunting Fathers for soprano or tenor and orchestra (words by W. H. Auden and others; 1936)
• The Company of Heaven for speakers, soloists, chorus and orchestra (BBC, September 1937, not performed again until 1989)
• The World of the Spirit for speakers, SATB soloists, chorus and orchestra (BBC, May 1938)
• Ballad of Heroes, Op. 14, for tenor or soprano, chorus and orchestra (words by W. H. Auden and Randall Swingler; 1939)
• Les Illuminations for soprano or tenor and strings (words by Arthur Rimbaud) (1939; three further songs, not included in the cycle, also exist — another setting also called 'Phrase', and 'Aube' and 'A une raison'; they have been orchestrated by Colin Matthews; there also exists a sketch for a further Rimbaud setting)
• Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (1943)
• The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard for male voice choir and piano (1943)
• Saint Nicolas for tenor soloist, children's chorus, chorus, and orchestra (1948)
• Spring Symphony for soprano, contralto, and tenor soloists, mixed chorus, boys' choir and orchestra (1949)
• Nocturne for tenor, seven obbligato instruments and strings (1958)
• Cantata academica for soloists, chorus and orchestra (1959)
• War Requiem for soprano, tenor and baritone soloists, chamber ensemble, boys' chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra (1961)
• Cantata misericordium for tenor and baritone soloists, small chorus, string quartet, string orchestra, piano, harp, timpani (1963)
• Phaedra for mezzo-soprano, cello, harpsichord, percussion, and string orchestra (words by Robert Lowell; after Jean Racine's Phèdre; 1975)
• Praise we great men for soloists, chorus and orchestra (words by Edith Sitwell; 1976. Completed by Colin Matthews, 1985)
• Welcome Ode for young people's voices and orchestra (1976)

• Beware! Three Early Songs for voice and piano (1) "Beware!" (words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; 1922) (2) "O that I had ne'er been Married" (words by Robert Burns; 1922) (3) "Epitaph: The Clerk" (words by Herbert Asquith; 1926; rev. 1968, published 1985
• Tit for Tat for voice and piano (words by Walter de la Mare; 1928–31; (1) "A Song of Enchantment" (2) "Autumn" (3) "Silver" (4) "Vigil" (5) "Tit for Tat";[1] rev. and published 1969;[2] premiered by John Shirley-Quirk and the composer at the 1969 Aldeburgh Festival)[3]
• The Birds (Belloc; 1929, rev. 1934)
• On this Island for high voice and piano (1937) (words by W. H. Auden)
• Fish in the Unruffled Lakes (1937-1947) (words by W. H. Auden – includes songs originally intended for, but ultimate not used in, On this Island[4])
• Cabaret Songs for medium voice and piano (words by W. H. Auden: "Tell Me the Truth About Love", "Funeral Blues", "Johnny", and "Calypso"; 1940)
• Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo for tenor and piano, Op. 22 (1940)
• The Holy Sonnets of John Donne for tenor and piano, Op. 35 (1945)
• Canticle I: My beloved is mine for tenor and piano (one of the Canticles; 1947)
• A Charm of Lullabies for mezzo-soprano and piano (1947)
• Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac for alto (or countertenor), tenor, and piano (one of the Canticles; 1952)
• Canticle III: Still falls the rain for tenor, horn and piano (words by Edith Sitwell; one of the Canticles; 1954)
• Winter Words for tenor and piano, poetry by Thomas Hardy (1954)
• The Heart of the Matter for narrator, tenor, horn, and piano (1956)
• Songs from the Chinese for soprano or tenor and guitar, Op. 58 (translations by Arthur Waley; 1957)
• Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente for tenor and piano, Op. 61 (1958)
• Songs and Proverbs of William Blake for baritone and piano, Op. 74 (1965)
• The Poet's Echo for soprano or tenor and piano, Op. 76 (words by Alexander Pushkin; 1965)
• Who Are These Children? for tenor and piano, Op. 84 (words by William Soutar; 1969)
• Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi for countertenor, tenor, baritone, and piano (one of the Canticles; 1971)
• Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus for tenor and harp (one of the Canticles; 1974)
• A Birthday Hansel for high voice and harp (1975)
• Eight books of Folksong Arrangements from the British Isles and France, for voice and piano, guitar and harp
• Britten's Purcell Realizations, many realizations of songs by Henry Purcell for voice(s) and piano

• A Hymn to the Virgin for chorus and soli (1930; revised 1934)
• Christ's Nativity for unaccompanied chorus (1931)
• A Boy Was Born for treble voices and choir (1933; revised 1955)
• Jubilate Deo in E-flat for chorus and organ (published posthumously; 1934)
• Te Deum in C for treble solo, chorus, trumpet, and organ (1934)
• Friday Afternoons for children's voices and piano (1935)
• Advance Democracy for unaccompanied choir (1938)
• A.M.D.G. (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam), seven settings of Gerard Manley Hopkins for unaccompanied SATB (1939)
• A Ceremony of Carols for treble voices and harp (1942); an alternative arrangement for mixed voices and harp (or piano) is popular as well
• Hymn to St Cecilia for unaccompanied choir (poem by W. H. Auden; 1942)
• Rejoice in the Lamb for four soloists, choir, and organ (text by Christopher Smart; 1943)
• Festival Te Deum in E for chorus and organ (1944)
• A Wedding anthem 'Amo Ergo Sum' for soprano, tenor, SATB and organ (1949)
• Five Flower Songs for SATB (1950)
• Hymn to St Peter for treble soloist, SATB and organ (1955)
• Antiphon for SATB and organ, (1955)
• Missa Brevis for boys' voices and organ (1959)
• Jubilate Deo for chorus and organ (1961)
• A Hymn of St Columba for chorus and organ (1962)
• The Golden Vanity for five boy soloists, treble chorus and piano (1966)
• The Building of the House for chorus or organ or brass and orchestra (1967)
• Children's Crusade for nine boy soloists and chorus, percussion, organ and two pianos (text by Bertolt Brecht, trans. Hans Keller; 1968)
• Sacred and Profane for SSATB (1974–5)

• Five Waltzes, for piano (1923–25, rev. 1969)
• Three Character Pieces, for piano (1930)
• Twelve variations on a theme, for piano (1930)
• Holiday Diary for piano (1934)
• Sonatina romantica for piano (rejected by the composer; 1940)
• Night-Piece (Notturno) for piano (written for Leeds International Pianoforte Competition; 1963)
• Variations for piano (1965)

• Two Lullabies for two pianos (1936)
• Introduction and Rondo alla burlesca for two pianos (1940)
• Mazurka elegiaca for two pianos (written as part of the collaborative album Homage to Paderewski; 1941)

• Prelude and Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria for organ (1946)

• String Quartet in F major (1928)
• Rhapsody (1929)
• Quartettino (1930)
• String Quartet in D major (1931, revised 1974)
• Alla Marcia (1933)
• Three Divertimenti, for string quartet (1933, revised 1936): March, Waltz, Burlesque
• String Quartet No. 1 in D major (1941)
• String Quartet No. 2 in C major (1945)
• String Quartet No. 3 in G major (1975)

• Suite for Violin and Piano (1935)
• Reveille, Concert Study (1937, published 1983)

• Reflection for viola and piano (1930)
• Lachrymae for viola and piano, after "If my complaints could passions move" by John Dowland; for William Primrose; 1950)
  • arranged for viola and string orchestra (for Cecil Aronowitz; 1976)
• There is a willow grows aslant a brook (1932), an arrangement of the orchestral poem by Frank Bridge. The title is taken from Shakespeare, and the arrangement by Britten is dedicated to Bridge.

• Two Pieces (1929; first performance 2003)[5]

• Etude (1929)
• Elegy (1930)

• Cello Sonata in C major (1961)

• Cello Suite No. 1 (1964)
• Cello Suite No. 2 (1967)
• Cello Suite No. 3 (1972)
• Tema "Sacher" for cello solo (1976)

• Two Insect Pieces for oboe and piano (1935)
• Temporal Variations for oboe and piano (1936)

• Phantasy Quartet, Op. 2, for oboe, violin, viola, and cello (1932)

• Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe (1951), with quotations from Ovid's poem Metamorphoses

• Gemini Variations for flute, violin, and piano four hands (1965)

• Timpani Piece for Jimmy, timpani solo (1955) for James Blades

• Fanfare for St Edmundsbury, short antiphonal and polytonal piece for three trumpets (1959)

• Nocturnal after John Dowland for guitar (1963)

• Suite for Solo Harp (1969)

• Night Mail (1936), with words by W. H. Auden
• The Agamemnon of Aeschylus (1936), play by Louis MacNeice
• Out of the Picture (1937), play by Louis MacNeice
• The Sword In The Stone (1939), six-part radio drama[lower-alpha 1]
• The Dark Tower (1946), radio play by Louis MacNeice