CHAPTER 1: The Elements of Music 

8 

Music Guide 

1

8

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

by Benjamin BRITTEN (1913–76)

1934

Misc.

Orchestral

Benjamin Britten 

was the most important British composer of the 20th century.  He wrote over 

100 major works including operas, songs, string quartets and other chamber works, a violin 

concerto, choral works, incidental music, symphonies and other orchestral works.  Of these, he 

is best known for the 

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

, Op. 34 (1934)—a sixteen 

minute work designed to introduce listeners to the various instruments and families of the modern 

orchestra. This work featuresa 

theme and variations

 design based on the melodic 

theme

 from 

the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell's incidental music to the play 

Abdelazar 

("The 

Moor's Revenge").

Theme

 (8-measure theme in D minor presented six times to demonstrate the full orchestra  

    and its four main families):

        1. Full Orchestra    2. Woodwinds    3. Brass    4. Strings    5. Percussion    6. Full Orchestra

13 Variations 

(each demonstrating a different instrument or combination of instruments):

Featured Instrument(s)                                         Accompanied by   

        Woodwinds: 

            Variation 1: Flutes and piccolo              

            Variation 2: Oboes

            Variation 3: Clarinets

            Variation 4: Bassoons
       Strings: 

            Variation 5: Violins             

            Variation 6: Violas

            Variation 7: Cellos

            Variation 8: Double basses

            Variation 9: Harp
        Brass: 

            Variation 10: French horns              

            Variation 11: Trumpets

            Variation 12: Trombones, tuba
        Percussion: 

            Variation 13: various combinations

                     • Timpani, bass drum & cymbals

                     • Timpani, tambourine & triangle

                     • Timpani, snare drum & wood block

                     • Timpani, castanets & gong

                     • Timpani, whip and entire percussion

Fugue

 (based on a fragment of Purcell's theme, played in imitation by each instrument in order    

    of the previous variations—

woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion, full orchestra

)

Outline of the structure of this work:

Violins, harp & triangle

Strings & timpani

Strings & tuba

Strings & snare drum

Brass & bass drum

Woodwinds & brass

Clarinets, viola& harp

Woodwinds & tambourine

Strings, gong & cymbal

Strings, harp & timpani

Strings & snare drum

Woodwinds and high brass