Sérénade

EN – If a serenade if most often understood as a declaration to a loved one, it can be composed as a token of affection for a person. Thus, the Serenade for wind instruments by Richard Strauss can be heard as a homage to his horn-player father, whilst the ten variations by Benjamin Britten are evidence of his admiration for his first composition teacher. Another youthful work, Schubert’s Fifth Symphony, reminds us of Mozart in its scoring, and makes reference to Susanna’s aria Deh vieni, non tardar in the Mariage of Figaro, one of the most uplifting serenades.