Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” is a brilliant piece of music designed to introduce listeners, especially young people, to the different instruments that make up an orchestra. Originally created in 1946 for an educational film called Instruments of the Orchestra, this composition quickly became a concert favorite. It was first performed for a concert audience in Liverpool, England, on October 15, 1946, and has delighted audiences ever since with its clever and engaging exploration of orchestral sounds.
Britten based his guide on a stately and recognizable theme by the Baroque composer Henry Purcell. He borrowed this theme, a rondeau, from Purcell’s music to Abdelazer. At the very beginning of “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” you hear this main theme played by the full orchestra in all its glory. Then, Britten cleverly breaks down the orchestra into its main sections. First, the woodwinds play the theme, showcasing their unique sound. Next, the brass section takes over, demonstrating their powerful and bright tones. Following them are the strings, with their rich and expressive qualities, and finally, the percussion section, highlighting rhythm and exciting sounds. After each section has had its turn, the full orchestra plays the theme again, reinforcing what you’ve just heard. This part of the composition clearly displays the different timbres, or sound colors, of each orchestral family.
After introducing the main sections, Britten delves deeper into each family of instruments within “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” He presents variations of Purcell’s theme, but this time featuring individual instruments. Starting again with the woodwinds, you’ll hear solos from instruments like the flute and piccolo, which are high and bright, down to the deeper, richer sound of the bassoon. He does the same for the strings, brass, and percussion families, always moving generally from the highest to the lowest pitched instruments in each group. Britten also varies the tempo and energy, showing off the versatility of each instrument’s timbre. When he gets to the percussion, he makes sure to feature instruments that can play specific pitches, like the timpani and xylophone, as well as those focused on rhythm.
In the exciting final section of “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” Britten brings all the orchestral sections back together. He weaves them into a lively and intricate fugue. A fugue is a musical form that was very popular in Purcell’s time, during the Baroque period, making it a fitting choice. This fugue is based on a new, dance-like melody that Britten derived from Purcell’s original theme. The fugue begins with the highest woodwinds, the flutes and piccolo, introducing this new melody. Then, one by one, other instruments join in, each playing the same melody but starting at different times. This creates layers of sound that build up gradually. This section not only lets you hear the contrasting sounds of the instruments working together, but it also gives you a glimpse into musical techniques from earlier centuries. For a truly grand finish, the original Purcell theme returns in its full form, played powerfully beneath the energetic dance-like fugue theme, bringing “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” to a resounding close.
