Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34

E519998

Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 is a 1945 orchestral work by Benjamin Britten that introduces and showcases the instruments of the symphony orchestra through a set of variations and a fugue on a theme by Henry Purcell.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fugue
orchestral work
set of variations
basedOn theme by Henry Purcell
catalogueNumber Opus 34
commissionedFor educational film about the orchestra
composer Benjamin Britten NERFINISHED
composerNationality British
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
dedicatedTo children and young people
educationalFunction demonstrates individual orchestral instruments
demonstrates timbre of each orchestral section
educationalUse used in music education programs
used in school music curricula
featuresInstrumentGroup brass
percussion
strings
woodwinds
firstPerformanceYear 1946
genre educational music
orchestral variations
hasAlternativeTitle The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra NERFINISHED
hasKey various keys (modulating work)
hasSection final fugue combining instruments
introduction of the theme by full orchestra
variations for each orchestral family
hasTitleTheme theme by Henry Purcell arranged by Britten
intendedAudience young listeners
language none (instrumental)
movementType fugue
theme
variations
notableFeature concludes with a grand fugue for full orchestra
each variation highlights a different instrument or section
opusNumber Op. 34
orchestration full symphony orchestra
period 20th-century classical music
purpose to introduce the instruments of the symphony orchestra
structure theme, variations, and fugue
style neoclassical elements
tonal
subjectOf concert performances worldwide
numerous recordings
typicalDuration approximately 17 minutes
usesThemeFrom Henry Purcell’s Abdelazer NERFINISHED
Rondeau from Abdelazer NERFINISHED
yearComposed 1945

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Benjamin Britten notableWork Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34