Which is Britten's opera prima?

[Enrique]

I've just heard a musical work. As the radio is portuguese I only could know it is Britten's opera prima (first work ever published or so), that it was played by the choir and orchestra of Birmingham, and that is written for the church. In Internet I only find two works for the church but composed by him, but the dates are well beyond his birth. Any idea?

[Peter]

Britten's first published work was a chamber work for strings called Sinfonietta, his first choral work was 'A Hymn to the Virgin' but this is for unaccompanied choir.

[Enrique]

Radio Antena is to blame then. They specifically announced it as his "opera prima", which in latin is "first work". I specially liked the end and presume it is a misa.

[Peter]

Radio Antena is to blame then. They specifically announced it as his "opera prima", which in latin is "first work". I specially liked the end and presume it is a misa.

Perhaps they meant his first opera 'Paul Bunyan'?

[Enrique]

But it was premiered in a church.

[Peter]

But it was premiered in a church.

Yes sorry - perhaps 'A Boy Was Born' (1934) but again I think it was originally for unaccompanied choir.

[Enrique]

I think I shall study portuguese --that radio deserves it (much music, few words)!

[Sorrano]

Radio Antena is to blame then. They specifically announced it as his "opera prima", which in latin is "first work". I specially liked the end and presume it is a misa.

Could opera prima also refer to best work, such as the number 1 work? Perhaps best choral work? When you mention a misa I immediately think of the War Requiem.

[Enrique]

No way, opera prima is opera prima. You Americans so fond of Latin, but this one you don't have it! I mean, primus,-a = first in order and, hence, first in importance but not in opera prima.

[Enrique]

Thank you for "suggesting" a musical piece to kill my boring: War Requiem. It sounds phenomenal. Not that I use to bore myself.

[Sorrano]

No way, opera prima is opera prima. You Americans so fond of Latin, but this one you don't have it! I mean, primus,-a = first in order and, hence, first in importance but not in opera prima.

Or you could say "first in pecking order", or the work that is the most important, such as prima dona. A prime steak, for example, is a top quality steak; the root goes back to prima. A translation or opera prima, in that sense, would be prime work. Maybe I am not making much sense, but I offer that only as a suggestion.

[Enrique]

I understand prime is never used meaning order, am I right?

[Sorrano]

I understand prime is never used meaning order, am I right?

In English, prime refers to the quality but can refer to order as well. Prime directive would the the first and most important directive (emphasis on important). A prime steak would refer strictly to the quality of the steak.

In essence, what I am suggesting is that there might be a second meaning to opera prima rather than the first composed work, such as a primary work in a genre or of Britten's career.

[Enrique]

Well, I think I bringing a little confusion here. In fact, I read the term in a Spanish book. Here, in everyday use, one speaks of the first picture of a director as of his opera prima, not belonging to Spanish but to Latin. And the portuguese speaker used the expression too for music, with a meaning that has to be that for pictures (movies). Of course, this does not mean the expression is strictly defined. Perhaps that director shot many pictures in underground circuits before his first commercial adventure.

[Roehre]

Perhaps it's the first Canticle meant: Canticle I My Beloved is mine opus 40 (1947)