A Mass for Modernity
The U.S. Premiere of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem
Benjamin Britten's haunting War Requiem premiered in England on May 30, 1962, at the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, built to replace the original that had been destroyed during the bombings of World War II. But North American audiences heard Britten's work first on July 27, 1963, at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Erich Leinsdorf conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with soloists Phyllis Curtin, Nicolas di Virgilio and Tom Krause, Chorus pro Musica, and the Columbus Boychoir.
Soloists Phyllis Curtin, Nicolas di Virgilio, and Tom Krause stand for applause with Chorus Pro Musica Director Alfred Nash Patterson and BSO Music Director Erich Leinsdorf. (Whitestone Photo/Heinz Weissenstein)
Bringing the Requiem to Tanglewood
Program for the American premiere performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, July 27, 1963, at Tanglewood. Britten, who was a pacifist, followed each section of the Latin text of the solemn and awesome Mass for the Dead with the English verses of the soldier-poet Wilfred Owen, who protested the futility of death about him, pitying those who needlessly fell in World War I.
BSO Music Director Erich Leinsdorf and Chorus Pro Musica Director Alfred Nash Patterson during a rehearsal leading up to the U.S. Premiere of Britten’s War Requiem. (Boris and Milton)
BSO Music Director Erich Leinsdorf chats with Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Arthur J. Goldberg, Dorothy Kurgans, and BSO Manager Thomas D. Perry on July 27, 1963. That evening, Erich Leinsdorf conducted the BSO in the American premiere of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. (Whitestone Photo/Heinz Weissenstein)
Performance photo of the U.S. premiere of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem in the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood. The staging extends into the wings as Erich Leinsdorf conducts the BSO, Chorus Pro Musica, soloists Phyllis Curtin, Nicolas di Virgilio, and Tom Krause, and the Columbus Boychoir while a television camera from WGBH Channel 2 broadcasts the performance live. (Whitestone Photo/Heinz Weissenstein)
Concert Reviews of a U.S. Premiere
Concert review of the U.S. premiere of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Tanglewood with Erich Leinsdorf conducting the BSO. The article notes that the performance was recorded for television and over 10,800 individuals attended. (Berkshire Eagle, July 29, 1963)
Concert reviews from the Christian Science Monitor (left) and Washington Post (right) offer praise and reflection on the U.S. premiere of Britten’s War Requiem. The articles discuss Britten’s work in terms of its musical components and historical significance. (Christian Science Monitor, July 29, 1963 and Washington Post, date unknown)
Newspaper clipping featuring the Columbus Boychoir before their performance in the American premiere of Britten’s War Requiem at Tanglewood on July 27, 1963. (Printed in The Berkshire Eagle, July 25, 1963)