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Few composers have cast such a long shadow over a nation's musical consciousness as Benjamin Britten. Born in 1913 in the seaside town of Lowestoft in Suffolk, Britten was the first of his generation to attain international recognition; while at home his music breathed new life into the cultural fabric of post-war Britain. An accomplished pianist and conductor, he re-established "English" opera with the overwhelming success of "Peter Grimes", first heard in 1945. Together with his partner in life and music, the tenor Peter Pears, he founded the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. The level of recognition Britten achieved is all the more remarkable because in 1948 he was still only 35!

Across the week Donald Macleod explores these formative years. It's a rich seam of music to mine, with works including Les Illuminations, the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and Sinfonia da Requiem. The week concludes with excerpts from Peter Pears's acclaimed recording of Peter Grimes and the triumphal conclusion of Britten's Spring Symphony, premiered in 1949 by Pears and the contralto Kathleen Ferrier.

Today Donald Macleod looks at one of Britten's enduring artistic inspirations, the voice of his partner in life, the tenor Peter Pears.

Trad. arr. Britten
The Foggy, Foggy Dew
Peter Pears, tenor
Benjamin Britten, piano

Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo
Ian Bostridge, tenor
Antonio Pappano, piano

String Quartet No 2 in C major, Op 36 (1st movement)
Takacs Quartet

Serenade for tenor, horn and strings
Robert Tear, tenor
Dale Clevenger, horn
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor.