BRITTEN Billy Budd (1960) - PACO236

overviewfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fBRITTEN Billy BuddStudio broadcast recording, 1960 Total duration: 2hr 27:09Edward Fairfax Vere - Peter Pears Billy Budd - Joseph Ward John Claggart - Michael Langdon BBC Men's Chorus BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Britten 578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_titlefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_quotefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9review_bodyfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9main_samplefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fsamples/PACO236.mp3578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fProducer's Note578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcontent578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fBenjamin Britten’s Billy Budd has always occupied a curious position among the composer’s operatic masterpieces. Premiered at Covent Garden in 1951, it arrived in the immense shadow of Peter Grimes, yet from the beginning many musicians sensed that Britten had created something even more remarkable: a taut, psychologically charged music drama of extraordinary concentration and power. Yet the original four-act structure posed problems. By 1960 Britten had undertaken a substantial revision, compressing the opera into two acts while tightening transitions and reshaping parts of the score. This BBC studio performance, broadcast on 13 November 1960 under the composer’s own direction, preserves that revised version at a crucial moment in the opera’s evolution. Contemporary critics immediately recognised the significance of the revision. Writing in The Observer shortly after the broadcast, Peter Heyworth described the opera as “a score stripped for action” in which “every incident fulfils a musico-dramatic purpose”. Heard today, the performance still carries precisely that sense of dramatic concentration. The cast assembled for the broadcast was a distinguished one even by Britten standards. Peter Pears, for whom the role of Captain Vere had been written, brings an inwardness and verbal sensitivity unmatched in this repertoire. Joseph Ward’s Billy is warm-hearted, physically vivid and touchingly direct, while Michael Langdon gives a darkly compelling portrayal of Claggart. Prepared here in a new Ambient Stereo XR remastering from surviving archive sources, this historically important BBC broadcast emerges in remarkably vivid sound, restoring much of the drama, urgency and orchestral colour of Britten’s original transmission. As part of Pristine Classical’s ongoing series marking the composer’s anniversary year through significant historic recordings, it preserves not merely a performance, but a vital stage in the evolution of one of Britten’s greatest operatic achievements.578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab1_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fFull Track Listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5ftrack_listing578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fBRITTEN Billy Budd, Op. 50 Revised Two-Act Version Disc One: Act I (76:58) 01. Prologue - I am an old man... (4:36) 02. Scene 1 - Pull, me bantams! (5:36) 03. Boat ahoy! (3:09) 04. First man forward! (2:32) 05. Your name? (2:24) 06. Billy Budd, king of the birds! (2:13) 07. I heard you! (3:28) 08. Come along, kid! (8:23) 09. Christ! The poor chap... (1:12) 10. What's that? What's those whistles? (2:03) 11. Starry Vere we call him (7:10) 12. Boy! Gentlemen, the King! (5:03) 13. Ay, ay, Spithead! (1:03) 14. We are, sir, Claggart is an able one (6:36) 15. We're off to Samoa... (3:29) 16. Hi! You... (2:48) 17. Over the water... (6:38) 18. Come here (4:26) 19. Billy!... Hist! Billy Budd! (3:57) 20. Dansker, old friend... (4:30) Disc Two: Act II (70:14) 01. Scene 1 - I don't like the look of the mist... (2:17) 02. With great regret I must disturb your honour (1:06) 03. Deck ahoy! (1:30) 04. Volunteers! Call for boarding volunteers! (7:03) 05. There you are again, Master-at-Arms (4:29) 06. Oh, this cursed mist! (4:22) 07. Claggart, John Claggart (3:18) 08. Master-at-Arms and foretopman... (3:05) 09. God o' mercy! (1:58) 10. Gentlemen, William Budd here... (1:24) 11. William Budd, you are accused... (5:07) 12. Poor fellow, who could save him? (3:58) 13. I accept their verdict (2:56) 14. Look! Through the port (5:02) 15. Here! Baby! (8:41) 16. And farewell to ye... (4:17) 17. Interlude (2:53) 18. According to the Articles of War (1:53) 19. Down all hands! (2:14) 20. Epilogue - We committed his body to the deep (4:29) Cast Edward Fairfax Vere, Captain - Peter Pears Billy Budd, Foretopman - Joseph Ward John Claggart, Master-at-Arms - Michael Langdon Mr Redburn, First Lieutenant - John Noble Mr Flint, Sailing Master - Denis Dowling Lieutenant Ratcliffe - Roger Stalman Red Whiskers, an impressed man - Max Worthley Donald, a sailor - Tudor Evans Dansker, an old seaman - Trevor Anthony The Novice - Alexander Young Squeak, a Ship's Corporal - Andrew Gold Bosun - George Hancock First Mate - Stanley Riley Second Mate - George Packnell Maintop - Lloyd Strathsmith The Novice's Friend - Ranken Bushby Arthur Jones, an impressed man - George Stern Scott Four Midshipmen - Robert Finlay, David Green, Andrew Pullinger, Nicholas Tong Cabin Boy (spoken) - John Tibbett Choir of Watford Boys' Grammar School Music Master: John Tidcock BBC Men's Chorus Chorus Master: Alan G. Melville BBC Symphony Orchestra Leader: Paul Beard Benjamin Britten, conductor Meredith Davies, associate conductor Basil Coleman, producer BBC Third Programme studio recording, broadcast 13 November 1960. Revised two-act version prepared by the composer for this BBC production. XR Remastered by Andrew Rose Cover artwork based on a photograph of Benjamin Britten Total duration: 2hr 27:09 578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab2_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_labelfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fCover Art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_typefb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcover_art578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_contentfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers/thumbs/PACO236.jpg578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_thumbnail2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_cover_download_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5fcovers/PACO236.pdf578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample1_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample2_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample3_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample4_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample5_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f578a9379d1e540bd96d26f03a79628d9tab3_sample6_s3_locationfb55cd020f0643f08418183279e63a5f