Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Billy Budd (1951)

Opera in 2 acts (original version in 4 acts)


stage work

  • General information
    • Composition date: 1951
      Revision dates: 1960
    • Duration: 2 h 42 mn
    • Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
    • Opus: 50
    • Commission: 'The Arts Council of Great Britain for The Festival of Britain, 1951'
    • Libretto (details, author):

      E M Forster et Eric Crozier, d’après Herman Melville

Detailed formation
  • soloists: 5 solo tenors [dont un rôle principal] , 8 solo baritones [dont un rôle principal] , 1 solo bass-baritone, 3 solo bass voices [dont un rôle principal] , 4 soprano children voices, 1 child narrator, 1 actor [enfant]
  • men's choir
  • 4 flutes (also 3 piccolos), 2 oboes, 1 English horn, 3 clarinets (also 1 Eb clarinet, 2 bass clarinets), 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 1 alto saxophone, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 6 percussionists [4] , 1 timpani, 1 harp, strings

Premiere information

  • Date: 1 December 1951
    Location:

    Version originale en 4 actes, Londres, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden


    Performers:

    Royal Opera Covent Garden, direction : Benjamin Britten ; Basil Coleman, mise en scène.

  • Location:

    Révision de 1960 en 2 actes


Observations

Enregistrement : Thomas Hampson, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Eric Halfvarson, Northern Voices, Halle Orchestra, direction : Kent Nagano, Erato 3984-21631-.