Phaedra, Op. 93, is a cantata for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Benjamin Britten, written for Janet Baker.
History
Phaedra was the composer's last vocal work, written in 1975 and first performed by Dame Janet Baker at the Aldeburgh Festival on 16 June 1976. Britten assembled the libretto from parts of a translation of Racine's Phèdre by Robert Lowell. Stylistically, it draws from the Baroque cantata tradition.
References
- Carpenter, Humphrey (1992). Benjamin Britten: A Biography. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-14324-5. p. 596.
- Moore, Lloyd. "About this recording". Naxos. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- James, E.D.; Jondorf, G. (1994). Racine : Phèdre. Cambridge University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-521-39721-6.
- "MODA Triple Opera". The Göteborg Opera. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
