Billy Budd | |
---|---|
Opera by Benjamin Britten | |
Librettist | |
Language | English |
Based on | Billy Budd by Herman Melville |
Premiere | 1 December 1951 |
Mini-feature of the 2010 Glyndebourne production of Billy Budd 6:26 |
Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1 December 1951 (Conductor: Benjamin Britten)[10] |
---|---|---|
Captain Vere of HMS Indomitable | tenor | Peter Pears |
Billy Budd | baritone | Theodor Uppman |
John Claggart, Master-at-arms | bass | Frederick Dalberg |
Mr. Redburn, First Lieutenant | baritone | Hervey Alan |
Mr. Flint, Sailing Master | bass-baritone | Geraint Evans |
Lieutenant Ratcliffe | baritone or bass | Michael Langdon |
Red Whiskers, an impressed man | tenor | Anthony Marlowe |
Donald | baritone | Bryan Drake |
Dansker, an old seaman | bass | Inia Te Wiata |
A Novice | tenor | William McAlpine |
The Novice's Friend | baritone | John Cameron |
Squeak | tenor | David Tree |
Bosun | bass | Ronald Lewis |
First Mate | bass | Rhydderch Davies |
Second Mate | bass | Hubert Littlewood |
Maintop | tenor | Emlyn Jones |
Arthur Jones, an impressed man | tenor or baritone | Alan Hobson |
Cabin Boy | spoken role | Peter Flynn |
Four midshipmen | trebles | Brian Ettridge, Kenneth Nash, Peter Spencer, Colin Waller |
Chorus: Midshipmen, Powder monkeys, Officers, Sailors, Drummers, Marines by Royal Opera Chorus & Children from Kingsland Central School |
Year | Cast: Billy Budd, Captain Vere, John Claggart | Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra | Label[12] |
---|---|---|---|
1951 | Theodor Uppman, Peter Pears, Frederick Dalberg | Benjamin Britten, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | CD: VAI, Cat: VAIA 1034-3 |
1967 | Peter Glossop, Peter Pears, Michael Langdon | Benjamin Britten, London Symphony Orchestra and the Ambrosian Opera Chorus | CD: Decca, Cat: 417 428-2LH3 |
1997 | Thomas Hampson, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Eric Halfvarson | Kent Nagano, Halle Orchestra and the Halle Choir, Northern Voices, and the Manchester Boys' Choir (Recording of the original four-act version)[13] | CD: Erato, Cat: 3984 21631-2 |
1999 | Simon Keenlyside, Philip Langridge, John Tomlinson | Richard Hickox, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus | CD: Chandos, Cat: CHAN 9826 |