Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi |
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| Vocal composition by Benjamin Britten | |
Benjamin Britten in 1968
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| Opus | 86 |
| Related | Canticles |
| Text | "Journey of the Magi" by T. S. Eliot |
| Language | English |
| Dedication |
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| Performed | 30 June 1971 |
| Published | 1971 |
| Scoring |
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Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi, also called Op. 86, is a musical piece by Benjamin Britten. It is written for three male singers and a piano. This work is part of his series of five Canticles.
The music uses the words from T. S. Eliot's poem "Journey of the Magi". This poem tells the story of the biblical Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men. The piece was first performed in June 1971 at the Aldeburgh Festival. The singers were James Bowman, Peter Pears, and John Shirley-Quirk. Britten himself played the piano. The music was published the next year and dedicated to these three singers.
About the Canticles
Benjamin Britten wrote his five Canticles over many years, from 1947 to 1975. These pieces are all for voices and usually include a tenor singer. Britten often wrote them with his friend, the tenor Peter Pears, in mind.
The Canticles use religious stories or poems as their text, but they are not directly from the Bible. Britten was inspired by older music, like the "Divine Hymns" by Henry Purcell. Britten's Canticles are like small musical stories or groups of songs.
How Canticle IV Was Made
Britten finished his third Canticle in 1954. After a long break of 17 years, he started working on Canticle IV. He wrote Canticle IV: The Journey of the Magi in January 1971. It was written for a countertenor (a high male voice), a tenor (a middle male voice), a baritone (a lower male voice), and piano.
Britten often wrote his Canticles after finishing an opera. He wrote Canticle IV five months after his opera Owen Wingrave. The first performance was on June 6, 1971, at Snape Maltings in Suffolk, England. This was part of the Aldeburgh Festival.
The singers were James Bowman, Peter Pears, and John Shirley-Quirk. Britten played the piano for this first performance. The music was published in 1972 by Faber Music. Britten dedicated Canticle IV to the three singers who performed it. These same singers later had important roles in Britten's last opera, Death in Venice, in 1973.
The Poem and the Music
Canticle IV uses the poem "Journey of the Magi" by T. S. Eliot. This poem was published in 1927. The story is told by one of the biblical Magi, looking back at their journey. He talks about the wise men's worries and challenges as they searched for the baby Jesus. He also shares how they later wondered what their journey truly meant.
The music is organized like a rondo. This means that some parts of the music repeat throughout the piece. Sometimes, the singers' voices sing at different speeds or rhythms. Britten also used this musical idea in his Church Parables.
At an exciting part of the music, the piano plays a bit of an old church song. This song is called "Magi videntes stellarum" (which means "The wise men beholding the star"). This old song is used for a special church holiday called the Feast of the Epiphany. The entire piece of music lasts about 11 minutes.
Recordings
You can find recordings of the Canticles, including Canticle IV. For example, Naxos Records recorded them in 2005. This recording features tenor Philip Langridge, countertenor Derek Lee Ragin, baritone Gerald Finley, and pianist Steuart Bedford.
