One of Britten’s most substantial works for the theatre, 1939’s Johnson over Jordan was written as incidental music for J.B. Priestley’s diabolical morality play, which lingers in spiritual limbo. Paul Hindmarsh’s 1990 orchestral suite has four parts – a dramatic introduction, sulphurous incinerators’ dance, bluesy canzone The Spider and the Fly, and finale. Britten’s 30 minutes of music is scored sparely but with a dramatic force and wit that presages his later works for the stage.
- Publisher
- Faber Music
- Pages
- 72