Born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, Benjamin Britten displayed an exceptional aptitude for music from a very young age. His mother once hoped he would become the ‘Fourth B’ and stand alongside Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. But one composer above all others commanded Britten’s most profound admiration: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Britten once told actor David Spenser, ‘One day you’ll realise that Mozart is the greatest composer who ever lived – and Brahms is the worst.’ Whilst the comment was likely said in Britten’s usual dry wit, the statement reflected Britten’s genuine admiration for Mozart’s work. He would often return to his music for guidance, inspiration and sheer joy.
Britten valued clarity, elegance, and emotional sincerity in music—all qualities he closely associated with Mozart. He once remarked, ‘I’m given strength by that tradition… Mozart showed how to be new without destroying what came before. 'In both interviews and letters, Britten emphasised the importance of learning from composers like Mozart. He encouraged younger musicians to study how Mozart solved compositional problems. He likened the process to checking a map before a journey: even if you take a different route, it always helps to know how others navigated the same terrain.
That being said, his admiration wasn’t passive. Britten actively immersed himself in Mozart’s work throughout his life. Apart from his own work, he conducted Mozart’s symphonies and operas more than any other composer. At Aldeburgh Festival, which he co-founded, Mozart featured regularly. In 1969, Britten prepared and conducted an English-language version of the opera Idomeneno, with his partner Peter Pears singing the title role.
Britten would then go on to collaborate with Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, a regular performer at the Aldeburgh Festival. The two would go on to perform Mozart’s duets and produce a new cadenza for Mozart’s Piano Concerto in E-Flat, K.482.
Critics and colleagues often noted how Mozart’s influence echoed in Britten’s work. Both composers shared a unique gift for dramatic pacing and vocal writing that felt natural and deeply expressive. Britten’s operas – such as Peter Grimesand Death in Venice – showcase an elegant composition and emotional weight that he openly attributed to Mozart. It is no surprise as early as 1948, music analyst Hans Keller said: ‘Mozart may in some respects be regarded as a founder (a 'second founder') of opera. The same can already be said today, as far as the modern British – perhaps not only British – field goes, of Britten.’
Even towards the end of his life, Britten kept Mozart scores on his piano – still learning, still listening. While Britten admired other composers such as Bach, Handel, Beethoven and Schubert. It was Mozart that remained his North Star. Whether conducting an opera, writing a cadenza or simply listening privately, Britten remained in dialogue with Mozart throughout his life.
Feeling inspired? Be sure to experience the genius of Britten and Mozart this Season with our brand-new touring production of Peter Grimes and the much-loved The Marriage of Figaro.
