Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC1041 CANTICLE II 'ABRAHAM AND ISAAC'

For alto and tenor voices and piano, op. 51
Composition date: Jan 1952
First performance: 21 Jan 1952 >>
Type of performance: Concert performance
Location: Albert Hall, Nottingham
Performance details:

Kathleen Ferrier contr, Peter Pears ten, Benjamin Britten pf

Genre: Vocal
Text: Chester Miracle Play 'Histories of Lot and Abraham'

Britten later used text from the same source for Noye's fludde, op. 59. The two texts are adjacent in the publication.

Duration: 17'
Dedication: 'For Kathleen Ferrier and Peter Pears'

Kathleen Mary Ferrier (1912-1953), English contralto.

Notes

Material from the Canticle is used in the setting of Wilfred Owen's rewriting of the biblical story in War requiem, op. 66 ('Parable of the Old Man and the Young').

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.