Expanded Perceptions of Identity in Benjamin Britten's Nocturne, Op. 60 Page: 46
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Sexual desire was not the only motivation for Britten's involvement with children.
He also saw himself as a father or teacher figure for these boys, and some of them, including
Wulff Scherchen, Piers Dunkerley, and Roger Duncan, saw the relationship in that same
light.9 There are several examples that illustrate this point. Britten claimed to want to be a
father, and saw himself in a surrogate- or stepfather role for several boys. This was even
endorsed by the parents of the children, who knew that Britten could teach and give their
sons things that they could not. Britten even "adopted" one boy from a refugee Basque
family, and the child lived with him for a while.1'0
As Carpenter explains, part of this need to be around children could have grown from
Britten's lifelong desire to reclaim his own innocence. Britten loved being around children,
and also had friendships with young girls. Many people observed that Britten's demeanor
changed around children, and he was described as "childlike" and "boyish." He loved
practical jokes and word games, and he was known to go sledding and participate in snowball
fights. Britten would light up if there were children in the room, and quite preferred young
people to adults." Brett explains that for Britten, this idealized innocence is "arguably his
principal fount of non-verbal inspiration."12
In addition to having what might be considered unusual relationships with children,
Britten's relationship with his mother was also unique. He and his mother, Edith Britten,
were extraordinarily close. She pushed him to excel musically, and acted as his publicist
when he was in his teenaged years. Even as Britten entered young adulthood, Edith
9Ibid., 75, 122, 365.
'olbid., 111, 117, 349, 364-366.
"Ibid., 76, 81, 342-343, 345.
12Brett, "Benjamin Britten."46
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Perkins, Anna Grace. Expanded Perceptions of Identity in Benjamin Britten's Nocturne, Op. 60, thesis, May 2008; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc6064/m1/51/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .