The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - Variations and Fugue on a theme by Purcell Op. 34

In 1946, Britten took an order from the producers of an educational film, presenting the instruments of the orchestra, and created "The Young Person's Guide to Orchestra". His intention was to present the instruments of the orchestra through a sequence of variations on a theme, each variation played by a different group of instruments. For a theme, he chose a tune by one of the great English composers - Henry Purcell. The Rondeau from 'Abdelazar' which Purcell published in 1695 opens the work with full orchestration by Britten.

Later, Britten starts presenting groups of instrument one by one:

To end the piece, comes a fugue in which instruments join in a similar order as before, but this time with some development of the new theme of the fugue, and then Purcell's melody returns and adapts itself into the fugue theme, in the brass section.

Purcell could not have hoped for such a revival, as his rather forgotten melody became so loved and well-known to the modern audience thanks to Britten. Britten, on his behalf, gained a popular, widely-liked piece, considered the work indeed for presenting the instruments of the orchestra to the young. The narration in the original work is not usually included in current performances, but it remains the perfect tool for showing the orchestral instruments in an orderly, but not too didactic fashion.