Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Britten'sYoung Person's Guide to the Orchestrahas another name that you should know:Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell, and though you can buy it with narration, as a piece of music it's vastly preferable without. The work really does speak for itself in the clearest possible way. TheFour Sea Interludeshave rapidly become the most famous "water music" since Debussy'sLa Mer. They are wholly marvelous, especially the evocative "Sunday Morning" music. The other two pieces are relative rarities--the Suite was one of Britten's last completed compositions. Everything here is very well performed and recorded.--David Hurwitz