Benjamin Britten biography extract: was the composer's death caused by syphilis? Our greatest composer supposedly died of heart failure. But a sensational new biography reveals that the truth may be more complicated -- and infinitely more tragic; Our greatest composer supposedly died of heart failure. But a sensational new biography reveals that the truth may be more complicated -- and infinitely more tragic

Byline: Paul Kildea 'In the history of art,' observed the philosopher Theodor Adorno mischievously, 'late works are the catastrophes.' Not disasters: catastrophes â a spectacular subversion of an artist's oeuvre, [...]