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Sung in English
Opera in two acts. Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier
An old English naval captain, Edward Fairfax Vere, recalls the summer of
1797, during the war with France, when he commanded HMS Indomitable in
the aftermath of the mutiny at the Nore.
That summer, the Indomitable conscripted three men from a
passing merchant ship, the Rights o’ Man. One of them, Billy Budd, is a
handsome youth who stammers under pressure. He is elated to be assigned
as a foretopman and bids farewell to his old life on the Rights o’ Man.
The officers misunderstand his mention of “the rights of man”; they
think Billy may harbor revolutionary ideas. The master-at-arms,
Claggart, takes a strong dislike to Billy and resolves to have him
hanged. Claggart goes to Captain Vere and accuses Billy of fomenting
mutiny. Vere believes the master-at-arms is mistaken but agrees to
question Billy in Claggart’s presence. When asked
to respond to Claggart’s allegations, Billy can only
stammer. In frustration, he strikes Claggart, who collapses, dead.
Captain Vere calls for a court martial, and Billy is found
guilty and sentenced to death. Just before the sentence is carried out,
Billy cries out a blessing to Captain Vere.
Watch and Listen!
Interview
with Patrick Summers (6.4 MB)
View a preview of this opera
PC Users: Click
to watch Windows Media (2.86 MB)
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to watch Podcast (6.08 MB)
(2 min.)
Neil
Armfield and Danny Belcher Discuss Billy Budd on KUHF's The Front
Row
HGO launched a special section of our website
devoted to our Britten series. We hope that you will bookmark these
pages and visit often.
www.houstongrandopera.org/britten
HGO Production Clips
Blow
Them Away
Billy hits Claggart
Captain Vere
Look!
Through the Port
Billy
Budd Photo Gallery
Colin
Ure's Podcast Guide to Britten's Billy Budd (23
MB) 20min.
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Cast
(in order of vocal appearance)
Andrew Kennedy
Edward Fairfax Vere
David Brooks Horn
First Mate
Tommy Ajai George
Second Mate
Ryan McKinny***
Mr. Flint
Richard Sutliff
Bosun
Philip Cutlip
Donald
Beau Gibson***
Maintop
Chad Freeburg
Novice
Rodell Rosel
Squeak
Liam Bonner***
Mr. Redburn
Jeremy Galyon
Lieutenant Ratcliffe
Phillip Ens
John Claggart
Joseph Evans
Red Whiskers
Wesley Landry
Arthur Jones
Daniel Belcher
Billy Budd
James J. Kee***
Novice's Friend
Gwynne Howell
Dansker
David Ziemnicki
Cabin Boy
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Houston Grand Opera
Orchestra and
Chorus
Patrick Summers
Conductor
Neil Armfield
Director
Brian Thomson
Set Designer
Carl Friedrich Oberle
Costume Designer
Nigel Levings
Lighting Designer
Brian Byrnes
Fight Director
Richard Bado
Chorus Master
Karen Reeves
Children's Chorus Director
Dotti Staker
Wig/Makeup Designer
Megan
Properties Design Director
Peter Pasztor, Eric Melear,
Grant Loehnig
Musical Preparation
Kathryn LaBouff
English Diction Coach
* Houston Grand Opera debut
** Houston Grand Opera Studio Artist
*** Former Houston Grand Opera Studio Artist
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