Few recordings made during the partnership between Decca Records and composer Benjamin Britten rival the pair that are presented here. Supervised by producer Erik Smith during three sessions in London’s Kingsway Hall on May 27 and 28, 1963, this recording of the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra & Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge preserves one of the classic examples of the Decca sound. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra was originally conceived as a score for a documentary film and has since established itself as one of the most popular and immediately appealing of all Britten's instrumental compositions.

Track Listing

I. The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34

II. Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
A. Introduction And Theme
B. Adagio
C. March
D. Romance
E. Aria Italiana
F. Bourree Classique
G. Wiener Walzer
H. Moto Perpetuo
I. Funeral March
J. Chant
K. Fugue & Finale