These are dark and powerful works by Benjamin Britten. The Sinfonia was written in 1940 when Britten was only 26, and was written after the death of his parents, to whom the work is dedicated, and also contains anti-war connotations. Yet again an example of how tragedies can inspire great art. This interpretation by Previn brings out the dark undertones and sense of desolation better than any others I have heard. The Penguin Guide awarded this recording a Rosette.

Jean-Yves Duperron