Benjamin Britten’s 1964 masterpiece dealing with sounds of the night and dreamscape. The work is a theme and variations in reverse - Britten has taken the John Dowland lute song ‘Come Heavy Sleep’ and composed themes around this piece using, most notably, whole tone patterns. Opposing the traditional theme and variations structure in which the theme opens, Britten has reversed by placing the Dowland song at the end of the work. The listener has therefore to look for clues as the picture begins to take focus throughout the progressions. The work was written for Julian Bream, who delivered the premiere performance at the Aldeburgh Festival, UK, in June 1964
