Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten
This nomination predates the introduction in April 2014 of article-specific subpages for nominations and has been created from the edit history of Today's featured article/requests. 
 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/November 22, 2013 by BencherliteTalk 12:30, 4 November 2013‎ (UTC)



Benjamin Britten (1913–76) was an English composer, conductor and pianist, and a central figure in 20th-century British classical music. His wide compositional range includes opera, orchestral, choral, solo vocal, chamber, instrumental and film music. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. His best-known works include the operas Peter Grimes (1945) and Billy Budd (1951), the War Requiem (1962) and the orchestral showpiece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (1945). Recurring themes in his operas are the struggle of an outsider against a hostile society, and the corruption of innocence. He wrote copiously for children and amateur performers, including the opera Noye's Fludde, a Missa Brevis, and the song collection Friday Afternoons. Britten often composed with particular performers in mind, most importantly his personal and professional partner, the tenor Peter Pears, with whom he co-founded the annual Aldeburgh Festival in 1948; the pair were responsible for the creation of its Snape Maltings concert hall in 1967. In 1976 Britten became the first composer to be awarded a life peerage.


 * Born 100 years ago, vital, close to another composer but we can't change history, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:17, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
 * 8 points centenary (6), "vital article" (4), within 1 month of Bizet (-2) BencherliteTalk 12:46, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support. The article looks in good shape, though some of its coverage of 2013 events might benefit from trimming for balance. Agree with Gerda that we should definitely run this and Alkan, despite the similarity of topic. Espresso Addict (talk) 23:19, 23 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Trimmed the excessively long blurb and uploaded a cropped photo. BencherliteTalk 10:46, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Thank you for a cropped image! - I intended the (notified) authors to judge what should be dropped in the blurb but thanks anyway. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:19, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
 * ps: I wonder if this cropped better (!) image should be used more, and if we really need "leading 20-century ...", --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:27, 24 October 2013 (UTC)

in two consecutive sentences,
 * Well, you had taken the lead and removed some sentences, but not enough to get it below the 1,200 limit. If you can trim it to 1,400 or so characters (as you did) without the help of the principal authors, you ought to be able to trim it to 1,200 characters by yourself too.  Doing just half the job makes more work for others - either me, or the principal authors, or others who in the past have trimmed your over-long blurbs. I think the original image is fine in the article, but shows too much background for the restricted space on the main page.  As for the wording, the blurb currently says "a central figure of 20th-century British classical music" and "one of the leading 20th-century composers in the genre [opera]" - not the same thing, or the same wording (apart from "20th-century", which is unavoidable). BencherliteTalk 11:39, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
 * I think the cropped image shows more of the person and therefore is the better image, even for his article and his template Britten operas (if we need that). - I trim the blurb for authors who left, but think if they are around they know better what to accent. We are still four weeks before the planed date, likely two weeks before scheduling. What do others think? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:35, 24 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Discussions about the use of the cropped image elsewhere belong elsewhere, I'd say. I have swapped two sentences round to put more distance between the repetition of 20th century. Better? BencherliteTalk 12:46, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
 * I like the blurb better. - I use the cropped pic, where I feel responsible, - the FA itself and the template are not in that category, - no discussion, just a hint here, where people may look ;) --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:20, 25 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Support, 100 years, educational and encyclopedic, &mdash; Cirt (talk) 15:28, 25 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Unquestionable support, as per the above.--Smerus (talk) 07:16, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support: I have tweaked the blurb, though Tim may wish to have a further go. Brianboulton (talk) 11:51, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support - With pride. Ceoil (talk) 13:10, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support per above. —Cliftonian (talk) 14:12, 27 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support – as co-nom I would, wouldn't I? Happy with the blurb. Slightly daunted by the prospect of cleaning up on 23 Nov after the green-ink brigade have done their worst! – Tim riley (talk) 11:43, 28 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Support – Great all round. --   Cassianto Talk   19:17, 3 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Support, unquestionably. - SchroCat (talk) 19:22, 3 November 2013 (UTC)