Krishan Oberoi wrote:

>>Well, some would argue that the bulk of Britten's ouvre can be linked to
>>his sexuality and to his relationship with Pears, and not just the operas.

Which prompted Steve Schwartz to ask:

>Other than the choice of text and principal singer, how does this
>manifest itself?

and Bert Bailey's query:

>How do they argue this?

To which I reply:

A few years ago, when writing a paper on Britten and the role of sexuality
in the compositional process, I came across Christopher Palmer's quote of
Nietzsce:  "The degree and kind of a man's sexuality pervades the loftiest
reaches of his intellect." Without getting into the thorny issue of how
sexuality (dominance or submissiveness, for example) might manifest itself
in instrumental music, it can at least be stated with some degree of
confidence that "the bulk of his ouvre" (i.e.  vocal music- song cycles,
canticles, orchestral song cycles, the War Requiem, as well as the operas)
stemmed from Britten's lifelong attachment to Pears.  Of course, this is
inextricably linked to the choice of text or subject matter.  Obviously,
the operas are rife with homoeroticism, and those familiar with the operas
will find the same themes of dominance and submission, chastity and the
violation thereof, in the song cycles and canticles.

I think it's safe to say, at the very least, that had Britten fallen for a
violinist, his compositional output would have been very different indeed.
There is, however, considerable evidence that song and the voice had a
profound effect on him at a very early age.

Krishan Oberoi
Providence, RI  02906