Benjamin Britten UNKNOWN BRITTEN Sandrine Piau soprano ~ Michael Collins clarinet ~ Rolf Hind piano Richard Watkins horn ~ Michael Thompson horn Northern Sinfonia, Thomas Zehetmair conductor NMC D140 This CD features 8 world premiere recordings: 3 additional songs of Les Illuminations, In memoriam Dennis Brain, Rondo Concertante, Elegy for Strings, Variations for Solo Piano and the completion of Movements for a Clarinet Concerto. The stunning performance of Les Illuminations by world-renowned soprano Sandrine Piau has been made possible thanks to the French label Naive kindly releasing Sandrine from her exclusive recording contract for this CD. The 'Clarinet Concerto' was written for jazz star Benny Goodman but Britten never completed it as the sketches were impounded by US Customs in 1941.   It was Britten's intention to resume work on the piece in 1943 but he never got round to it and so it remained a fragment, not performed until edited by Colin Matthews in 1990. Britten intended the additional three songs recorded here-also setting Rimbaud-to be part of Les Illuminations. Sandrine Piau's love affair with the music of Benjamin Britten blossomed when she was chosen to sing the role of Flora in Britten's Turn of the Screw for Radio France. In memoriam Dennis Brain for 4 horns, strings and tubular bells commemorates the great horn player for whom Britten wrote his Serenade for tenor, horn and strings. He died in a car crash in 1957. A French translation of the liner notes is available in the CD booklet.       Les Illuminations,       Op. 18 (1939) for high voice and string orchestra     23'02 01. I. Fanfare     2'12 02. II. Villes     2'31 03. IIIa. Phrase     1'09 04. IIIb. Antique     2'03 05. IV. Royaute     1'37 06. V. Marine     1'01 07. VI. Interlude     2'34 08. VII. Being Beauteous     4'07 09. VIII. Parade     2'42 10. IX. Depart     8'27 11. Phrase     0'52 12. Aube     4'59 13. À une raison     2'36       Orchestrated by Colin Matthews       Sandrine Piau, soprano • Northern Sinfonia • Thomas Zehetmair, conductor       Rondo Concertante (1930) for piano and strings     14'58 14. I. Allegro molto     5'36 13. II. Lento     9'22       Rolf Hind, piano • Northern Sinfonia • Thomas Zehetmair, conductor       In memoriam Dennis Brain (c1958) for 4 horns and strings     3'53 16. Introduction     1'40 17. Allegro     2'13       Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Peter Francomb & Chris Griffiths, horns       Northern Sinfonia • Thomas Zehetmair, conductor 18. Untitled Fragment (1930) for strings     2'44       Northern Sinfonia • Thomas Zehetmair, conductor       Variations (1965) for piano solo     6'26 19. I. like an improvisation     1' 13 20. II.         1'18 21. III. Quick and light     0'48 22. IV.         0'59 23. V. Quietly     1'17 24. VI. Quick     0'51       Rolf Hind, piano       Movements for a Clarinet Concerto (c 1942) for clarinet and strings     17'50       Realized by Colin Matthews: 25. I.         5'32 26. II.         7'15 27. III.         5'03       Michael Collins, clarinet • Northern Sinfonia • Thomas Zehetmair, conductor       Total timing     78'12       Sandrine Piau appears by kind permission of Naïve. NMC Recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading, P.O.Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone (03) 9432 4149 ~ Facsimile (03) 9444 6879