«Faisons un opéra !» Les opéras pour enfants de Benjamin Britten

Abstract

"Let's Make an Opera" : Benjamin Britten's Children Operas. As an artist who believed his mission was to educate and as well as entertain, Benjamin Britten has always been keen on composing for children and teenagers. This creed was instilled in him by the inventor of British documentary film, John Grierson, his mentor the poet W. H. Auden and his friend Aaron Copland the American composer. This paper examines how Britten set about using the popular forms of entertainment of his time to initiate his young performers and audience to the magic of opera and high-brow culture and to convey his message of self-responsibility and truth to oneself, urging performers and listeners alike to beat their own path.