Name: Billy Budd
Start: 2019-04-23T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2019-05-10T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Royal Opera House

Organization

Singer

Baritone

Jacques Imbrailo

Billy Budd

Tenor

Toby Spence

Captain Edward Fairfax Vere

Bass

Brindley Sherratt

John Claggart

Bass-baritone

David Soar

Mr Flint

Thomas Oliemans

Mr Redburn

Peter Kellner

Lieutenant Ratcliffe

Clive Bayley

Dansker

Alan Ewing

Bosun

Duncan Rock

Donald

Konu Kim

Maintop

Sam Furness

A novice

Dominic Sedgwick

The novice's friend

Alasdair Elliott

Squeak

Christopher Gillett

Red Whiskers

Ross Ramgobin

First mate

Simon Wilding

Second mate

Conductor

Ivor Bolton

Stage director

Deborah Warner

Set designer

Michael Levine

Costume designer

Chloe Obolensky

Lighting designer

Jean Kalman

Choreographer

Kim Brandstrup

Royal Opera House

English

London

United Kingdom

Billy Budd Britten

Public

Approved

Britten wrote Billy Budd to a commission from the Arts Council of Great Britain for the 1951 Festival of Britain. It is based on the American writer Herman Melville's novel Billy Budd, Sailor, which was particularly popular in England. Britten and his librettists E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier collaborated in crafting the opera's text, and gave greater prominence to Captain Vere - the role Britten wrote for his partner Peter Pears - than in Melville's novel. Billy Budd's premiere was at the Royal Opera House in 1951. It was initially in four acts. Britten subsequently created a two-act version, which was given its stage premiere at the Royal Opera House in 1964 and is the one usually performed today.

Billy Budd is Britten's grandest opera, particularly in its use of the male chorus in numbers such as Act I's playful sea shanties and the rousing Act II chorus 'This is the moment'. Others of the many highlights include Claggart's aria of malevolence 'O beauty, handsomeness, goodness!', Billy's poignant monologue (Billy in the Darbies) as he awaits execution and Vere's morally tortured opening and closing monologues. Deborah Warner's tender, character-focused staging and Michael Levine's semi-abstract sets give a sense of the intimacy that develops among men living at close quarters at sea, and highlights the contrasting lives of the officers above decks and the men below.

Billy Budd by Britten, Thu 02 May 2019, From (2019/2019), Directed by Deborah Warner,, Conductor Ivor Bolton, Royal Opera House, London, United Kingdom

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues