The Red House, Aldeburgh

The Red House is a place to explore Benjamin Britten’s music and visitors to site can find out more about his and Peter Pears’ lives together. The House, with its classic 1950s/60s interiors, is a mix of formal and cosy, with an eclectic range of books, art, and furniture. The large gardens are ideal for wandering around and enjoying the peace and quiet of this corner of Suffolk. The home Britten and Pears shared for nearly two decades has been carefully re-presented as it was, based on a room inventory and recollections from people who knew the house at that time.

The Library was built on the site of a disused barn to the west of The Red House in 1963. The architect Peter Collymore transformed the space into a room that would hold Britten and Pears’ large book and music collection and also function as a rehearsal space.

Today the Library is used for talks and recitals and an annual display from the Britten Pears art collection. In the Library currently are eight portraits of Pears: not only the source of inspiration to Britten, but the model for many renowned artists, including David Hockney, Francis Newton Souza and Mary Potter.

The 2020 exhibitions at The Red House explore the rich and fascinating theme of ‘inspiration’. In 1974, Britten wrote a letter to Pears expressing his gratitude for what Pears had given him over the decades: “What have I done to deserve such an artist and man to write for?”. Pears was not, however, only a ‘muse’, but a true collaborator. The gallery exhibition this year examines in detail the powerful effect Pears’ artistry had on Britten’s entire career: from the sheer amount of music he inspired in him, to their professional recital partnership, to even the notes on the page. Pears was the person for whom Britten composed the most; but Britten nearly always wrote for particular performers, many of whom spurred him on to explore new musical landscapes. This exhibition pays tribute to the remarkable talents of Mstislav Rostropovich, Julian Bream and Janet Baker among many others.

In the former kitchen of the Red House, now an intimate exhibition space, is a display of works by the German Expressionist artist Christian Rohlfs, all taken from Britten and Pears’ personal art collection. The works in the exhibition demonstrate two of the most significant turning points in a long and mainly successful career: his encounters with the radical Expressionist artists of Die Brücke in the early twentieth century; and the effects of his marriage in 1919 at the age of 70 to a much younger wife. This remarkable collection of works originated in Helene Rohlfs’ acquaintance with Peter Pears through a mutual friend, ‘Peg’ (Margaret) Hesse, who became President of the Aldeburgh Festival in 1959. An affectionate friendship grew up between Helene, Pears and Britten. Over the years prints, watercolours and sketches were given as donations and as personal gifts, building into the rich and varied collection held today.

Britten and Pears entertained guests, cultivated vegetables, and even played croquet and tennis in their much-cherished gardens. There were many important social occasions which took place here, such as the celebration of Britten’s life peerage in 1976. Today the garden has evolved into a wildlife-friendly environment that retains some of the original planting and reflects their taste in flowers and plants.

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Benjamin Britten - Libera Me.