Opera - Billy Budd
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Billy Budd
164:43
An opera in a prologue and two acts
Revised version 1961
Libretto by E.M. Forster and E. Crozier
Adapted from the story by Herman Melville
Prologue
1
'I am an old man . . .'
5:09
Vere
Act I
Scene 1
2
'Pull, me bantams!'
6:43
First Mate et al.
3
'Boat ahoy!'
3:17
Maintop et al.
4
'First man forward!'
2:17
Claggart et al.
5
'Your name?'
2:40
Claggart, Billy, First Lieutenant, Sailing Master
6
'Billy Budd, king of the birds!'
2:27
Billy, Sailing Master, First Lieutenant, Ratcliffe
7
'I heard, your honour!'
3:29
Claggart, Squeak, Novice's Friend
8
'Come along, kid!'
4:22
Novice's Friend, Novice, Chorus
9
'Christ! The poor chap . . .'
1:30
Billy, Dansker, Red Whiskers, Donald
10
'What's that? What's those whistles?'
1:16
Billy, Donald, Claggart, First Mate, Second Mate, Bosun
11
'Starry Vere we call him.'
2:17
Donald, Billy, Chorus, Red Whiskers, Dansker, Bosun
Scene 2
12
'Boy!'
3:25
Vere, Boy
13
'Gentlemen, the King!'
5:43
Vere, First Lieutenant, Sailing Master
14
'Ay, at Spithead . . .'
1:00
Vere, Sailing Master, First Lieutenant
15
'We are, sir. Claggart is an able one.'
6:36
First Lieutenant, Vere, Sailing Master, Ratcliffe
Scene 3
16
'Blow her away.'
2:44
Red Whiskers, Chorus, Billy, Donald, Dansker
17
'We're off to Samoa . . .'
3:43
Donald, Chorus, Red Whiskers, Billy, Dansker
18
'Hi! You . . . a . . . a . . .!'
3:02
Billy et al.
19
'Over the water . . .'
7:29
Chorus, Claggart
20
'Come here.'
6:22
Claggart, Novice
21
'Billy! . . . Hist! Billy Budd!'
4:23
Novice, Billy
22
'Dansker, old friend . . .'
4:50
Billy, Dansker
Act II
Scene 1
23
'I don't like the look of the mist . . .'
2:17
Vere, First Lieutenant
24
'With great regret I must disturb your honour.'
1:04
Claggart, Vere
25
'Deck ahoy!'
3:27
Maintop et al.
26
'Volunteers! Call for boarding volunteers!'
8:13
Vere et al.
27
'There you are again, Master-at-Arms.'
5:01
Vere, Claggart, Boy
28
'Oh, this cursèd mist!'
4:04
Vere, First Lieutenant, Sailing Master, Ratcliffe
Scene 2
29
'Claggart, John Claggart, beware!'
3:36
Vere, Billy
30
'Master-at-Arms and foretopman . . .'
3:19
Vere, Claggart, Billy
31
'God o' mercy!'
2:11
Vere, Boy
32
'Gentlemen, William Budd here . . .'
1:34
Vere, First Lieutenant, Sailing Master, Ratcliffe
33
'William Budd, you are accused . . .'
5:48
First Lieutenant, Vere, Billy
34
'Poor fellow, who could save him?'
5:02
First Lieutenant, Sailing Master, Ratcliffe
35
'I accept their verdict.'
5:15
Vere
Scene 3
36
'Look!'
6:05
Billy
37
'Here! Baby!'
4:10
Dansker, Billy
38
'And farewell to ye . . .'
5:49
Billy
Scene 4
39
[Interlude]
3:11
40
'''According to the Articles of War . . .'''
2:18
All except Vere
41
'Down all hands!'
2:26
First Lieutenant et al.
Epilogue
42
'We committed his body to the deep.'
4:57
Vere
Philip Langridge tenor - Captain Vere
Simon Keenlyside baritone - Billy Budd
John Tomlinson bass - Claggart
Alan Opie baritone - Mr Redburn
Matthew Best bass-baritone - Mr Flint
Alan Ewing bass - Mr Ratcliffe
Francis Egerton tenor - Red Whiskers
Quentin Hayes baritone - Donald
Clive Bayley bass - Dansker
Mark Padmore tenor - A Novice
Richard Hickox
6-10 December 1999