Two works written in the 40s, one right before and one during the war. Both are song cycles. Les illuminations features fragments from the book of the same name by Arthur Rimbaud, the Serenade for horn and strings has seven English songs from different centuries. For this recording they are both performed by Britten’s partner Peter Pears.
Britten was with Pears for forty years before he died in 1976. This recording is from 1970, but they performed both pieces already in the 40s. Les illuminations was written for soprano, but is also regularly performed by tenor, like here. The poems of the Serenade have in common that they focus on the calm and sinister aspects of night.