Record Number: 5510

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I was delighted to hear that the performance was so good, Sophie. I hear you have never sung better and I know what that means. It must have been a terrific show. I was delighted with several of the notices which I have seen, but I only saw the section of them which referred to the work itself and so I don?t know whether you got your due from those snarky old critics ? but anyhow, I hope you did.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 31 Jan 1940 and 15 Mar 1940

Country:

America

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Benjamin Britten

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

22 Nov 1913

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Composer

Religion:

unknown

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

America

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

[reviews]

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Newspaper

Publication Details

31 January 1940

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

5510

Source:

Print

Author:

Benjamin Britten

Editor:

Donald Mitchell

Title:

Letters from a Life: Selected Letters and Diaries of Benjamin Britten

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1998

Vol:

2 (1939-45)

Page:

779-82

Additional Comments:

Author: Benjamin Britten et al Editor: Donald Mitchell and Philip Reed Letter 248, 15 March 1940 The editor?s footnote quotes from reviews appearing in The Times, The Daily Telegraph and the New York Times, all on 31 January 1940. The concert took place at the Aeolian Hall, London on 30 January 1940. From letter from reader to Sophie Wyss and Arnold Gyde.

Citation:

Benjamin Britten, Donald Mitchell (ed.), Letters from a Life: Selected Letters and Diaries of Benjamin Britten (London, 1998), 2 (1939-45), p. 779-82, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=5510, accessed: 02 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

There is no precise evidence about which cuttings Britten read.