Billy Budd - Benjamin Britten
Information about the opera Billy Budd by Benjamin Britten, and the best recordings available on CD or DVD, or for download.
Britten's dramatic opera, composed entirely for male voices, about the conflict between good and evil on board a ship.
Synopsis
The opera tells how an innocent young sailor on a Royal Navy ship in 1797 kills the master-at-arms in self-defence and is condemned to death.
Recommended recordings on CD
Britten/Glossop/Pears (Decca 417 428-2)
A classic recording of this moving opera.
Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Britten, 1961.
Cast: Peter Glossop (Billy Budd), Sir Peter Pears (Captain Vere), Michael Langdon (John Claggart), John Shirley-Quirk (Mr Redburn).
Decca 417 428-2
Also included in the boxed set:
Britten Operas 1
Recommended recordings on DVD
Elder/Imbrailo/Ainsley (Opus Arte OA 1051 D)
From the 2010 production in Glyndebourne, a superb interpretation in every respect, and now the best performance available on DVD.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Glyndebourne Chorus, conducted by Mark Elder, 2010.
Cast: Jacques Imbrailo (Billy Budd), John Mark Ainsley (Captain Vere), Philip Ens (John Claggart), Iain Paterson (Mr Redburn).
Opus Arte OA 1051 D