Needless to say, it is no longer fashionable for artists to portray sex as anything other than a source of unshadowed pleasure, and Britten's longing to return to the innocence of his youth has led many present-day commentators to take an increasingly sniffish view of his work especially in light of the fact that he himself was strongly attracted to pubescent boys.

WSJ: Benjamin Britten | Known but Not Loved | Sightings by Terry Teachout