The Great War and the challenge of memory

Abstract

An assessment of the responses of "classical" composers to World War I. A discussion of the responsibilities of the composer as they respond to war will be followed by a presentation of four different "modes" of artistic response: "heroic," "elegiac," "denunciation," and "reconciliation." These responses represent different modes of expression by which composers are able to respond to events such as World War I. Specific works representing these responses - Arthur Bliss' Morning Heroes, Alban Berg's Wozzeck, Edward Elgar's Violoncello Concerto, John Foulds' A World Requiem and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem - will also be discussed.