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Benjamin Britten: Source Stories of Twelve Operas

Public domain audiobook

Benjamin Britten: Source Stories of Twelve Operas

by Various

English· 13:14:19· 32 chapters
Britten's operas are firmly established in the international repertoire: according to Operabase, they are performed worldwide more than those of any other composer born in the 20th century, and only Puccini and Richard Strauss come ahead of him if the list is extended to all operas composed after 1900. Britten went to various sources for his stories from the Bible to Japanese noh plays. This is a collection of twelve of the source stories. All but one are the original texts; the one exception is A Midsummer Night’s Dream which the reader took from Charles Lamb’s telling of the story. Some operas are omitted because no public domain texts could be found for their sources. Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales
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Chapters

  1. Chapter 1

    Part 1 The Little Sweep. William Blake, The Chimney Sweeper in Songs Of Innocence and Songs Of Experience

    02:49
  2. Chapter 2

    Part 2 Noye's Fludde. Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapters 6-10

    17:20
  3. Chapter 3

    Part 3 The Burning Fiery Furnace. Bible, Book of Daniel, Chapters 1-3

    18:41
  4. Chapter 4

    Part 4 The Prodigal Son. Bible, Book of Luke, 15.11-32

    03:24
  5. Chapter 5

    Part 5 The Golden Vanity. Traditional English Ballad

    06:10
  6. Chapter 6

    Part 6 A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream as told by Charles Lamb in Tales Of Shakespeare

    26:45
  7. Chapter 7

    Part 7 Peter Grimes. George Crabbe, The Borough, Letter 22 Peter Grimes

    25:18
  8. Chapter 8

    Part 8 Albert Herring. Guy de Maupassant short story, Madame Husson's Rosier

    39:44
  9. Chapter 9

    Part 9 Owen Wingrave. Henry James, Owen Wingrave, Section 1

    13:10
  10. Chapter 10

    Part 10 Owen Wingrave. Henry James, Owen Wingrave, Section 2

    23:16
  11. Chapter 11

    Part 11 Owen Wingrave. Henry James, Owen Wingrave, Section 3

    28:37
  12. Chapter 12

    Part 12 Owen Wingrave. Henry James, Owen Wingrave, Section 4

    20:04
  13. Chapter 13

    Part 13 The Rape of Lucretia. Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece, Section 1

    36:52
  14. Chapter 14

    Part 14 The Rape of Lucretia. Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece, Section 2

    36:09
  15. Chapter 15

    Part 15 The Rape of Lucretia. Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece, Section 3

    42:12
  16. Chapter 16

    Part 16 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Beginning and Chapters 1-2

    38:45
  17. Chapter 17

    Part 17 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 3-4

    27:36
  18. Chapter 18

    Part 18 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 5-6

    25:39
  19. Chapter 19

    Part 19 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 7-8

    22:59
  20. Chapter 20

    Part 20 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 9-10

    24:24
  21. Chapter 21

    Part 21 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 11-12

    17:28
  22. Chapter 22

    Part 22 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 13-14

    21:51
  23. Chapter 23

    Part 23 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 15-16

    14:06
  24. Chapter 24

    Part 24 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 17-18

    18:21
  25. Chapter 25

    Part 25 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 19-20

    20:47
  26. Chapter 26

    Part 26 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 21-22

    23:09
  27. Chapter 27

    Part 27 The Turn of the Screw. Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, Chapters 23-24

    22:06
  28. Chapter 28

    Part 28 Death In Venice. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig), Chapter 1

    13:57
  29. Chapter 29

    Part 29 Death In Venice. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig), Chapter 2

    17:24
  30. Chapter 30

    Part 30 Death In Venice. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig), Chapter 3

    1:03:15
  31. Chapter 31

    Part 31 Death In Venice. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig), Chapter 4

    27:42
  32. Chapter 32

    Part 32 Death In Venice. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (Der Tod in Venedig), Chapter 5

    54:19