- published: 14 Mar 2012
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Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten,OM CH (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist; and one of the central figures of 20th century British classical music. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to international fame. For the next fifteen years he devoted much of his compositional attention to writing operas, establishing him as one of the leading 20th century figures in this genre.
Britten's interests as a composer were wide-ranging; he produced important music in such varied genres as orchestral, choral, solo vocal (much of it written for his life partner, tenor Peter Pears), chamber and instrumental, as well as film music. He also took a great interest in writing music for children and amateur performers, and was an outstanding pianist and conductor.
Britten was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, on 22 November 1913, the youngest of four children. His father, Robert, was a dentist, and his mother Edith, a talented amateur musician who gave Britten his first lessons in piano and notation. He showed musical gifts very early in life, making his first attempts at composition aged five, and thereafter composing prolifically as a child. He started piano lessons with a teacher from his pre-prep school when aged 7, and viola lessons with Audrey Alston when 10 years old.
Actors: Luigi Pistilli (actor), Gena Rowlands (actress), Mirella Pamphili (actress), Salvo Randone (actor), Marco Vicario (producer), Giuliano Montaldo (writer), Florinda Bolkan (actress), Britt Ekland (actress), Tony Kendall (actor), John Cassavetes (actor), Val Avery (actor), Gabriele Ferzetti (actor), Peter Falk (actor), Enrico Sabbatini (costume designer), Ennio Morricone (composer),
Plot: Tough criminal Hank McCain gets released from prison after serving twelve years for armed robbery. Hank hooks up with his son Jack, who has devised a daring plan to rob a Las Vegas casino. Unbeknownst to Hank, Jack is also involved with volatile and ambitious mob capo Charlie Adamo, who uses Hank as a pawn so he can gain control of Vegas territory that's currently being run by the formidable Don Francesco De Marco.
Keywords: 1960s, based-on-novel, casino, cynicism, death, disguise, ex-convict, explosion, gangster, las-vegas-nevada