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The Heart And Brain Of Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) - A Pathography On 30th Anniversary Of His Death

Benjamin (Edward) Britten (Lord Britten of Aldeburgh) had heart problems for years, caused mostly by the mitral valvular defect and coronary insufficiency. In 1971 it became obvious that Britten was far from well and symptoms of heart disease were increasingly prominent: he started to climb the stairs with difficulty and had a pain in his left arm. Early in the autumn of 1972 his doctors diagnosed the need for an operation to replace a deficient valve. So Britten made a pact with them: he was to be allowed to finish `Death in Venice' and then he would put himself in their hands. In April of 1973 he finnaly went to National Heart Hospital in London, where heart cateterisation was performed first and then his mitral valve was replaced in an eight-hour procedure. During the procedure he suffered stroke that only temporarily affected his speech but permanently affected his right hand. He was not able to play the piano or conduct any more nor was he able to attend the premiere of Death in Venice on June 16 at the Aldeburgh Festival. It resulted in something of a slowdown in his creative activities. No nevertheless he continued to compose until his death in 1976. Before he died Benjamin Britten was made a Lord at his home in Aldeburgh. This was the first time such an honor had been bestowed upon any British composer. He was recognized as one of the principal musical figures of the twentieth century.

Benjamin Britten; Pathography; Heart; Brain

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