Music by 20th-century composers.
Benjamin Britten and Colin McPhee.
Today on The Last Century we share several works by Benjamin Britten and Colin McPhee, both of whom were repeatedly seduced by Balinese music and gamelan sounds to use in their compositions. We will be listening to McPhee’s transcriptions of Balinese ceremonial music for two pianos, performed by McPhee and Britten themselves. As well as a suite version of the The Prince of the Pagodas ballet, an abridged version of the two-hour original edited by Donald Mitchell and Mervyn Cooke.
Playlist:
- Colin McPhee; Balinese Ceremonial Music, part 1 and 2, Colin McPhee, Benjamin Britten piano.
- Benjamin Britten/ Donald Mitchell and Mervyn Cooke; Suite from The Prince of the Pagodas, BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
