Lucas Meachem (Billy Budd), foto: Ian Patrick

Billy Budd is one of a very small number of operas with no female roles. With 23 soloists at the role list it is a master piece to get together. The libretto, drawn from Herman Melville´s short story Billy Budd, sailor, was written in collaboration with E.M.Forster and Eric Crozier.

Melville recounts the story of a young and handsome sailor, Billy Budd, whom the master-at-arms, John Claggart, loathes on sight and unjustly accuses of fomenting a mutiny. But the real background is that Claggart want to have a sex affair with Budd, but don’t succeeds in getting that arranged, and then by his hidden jalousie because Billy Budd is a popular young man amongst his colleagues at the ship, he is being dishonest towards Billy, and this is the background. Britten responded to the theme of the persecuted innocence, who, Christ-like, took the sins of the world upon himself. In which Good (Billy) and Evil (Claggart) come face to face under the indecisive gaze of Captain Vere.

 

 

It was a theme dear to Benjamin Britten and on which he has already handled, notably in Peter Grimes. He was also alive to the fascination that the hero exerts over the other characters and, in agreement with his librettists, accentuated, as far as it was possible at the time, the homosexual dimension, which though present in the original was not so explicit.  But today the naturally, discreet admiration between some of the guys on board the naval ship, is more normal, and more often shown in some places than in 1797. But still as it also in England existed and was quite open in some sircles.

  

 

 

In this opera, as in Peter Grimes and Albert Heering specially, Britten forged his own language and, remaining aloof from vogues and cliques, he simply sought to adapt his means to the needs of the subjects he put to music. In this way his description of the very different personalities is brilliant in Billy Budd. In addition Britten knows how to build big scenes to dramatic top points, with fully orchestra, choir and soloists, but it still sounds like it is by Benjamin Britten, he is not copying the other opera composers, but it is possible to feel his influence by Purcell and English folk music, and that he during the way liked Verdi, Mussorgsky, Alban Berg and Debussy.

In the leading roles we are enjoying Lucas Meachem handsome and young looking in the title role. His counterpoint Captain John Claggart with a beautiful bass voice, that it is long time since I last time has heard. The story teller, Edvard Fairfax Vere, splendid sung and performed by Kim Begley, who is remembering back on the time 1797, when he was commanding HMS Indomitable, at that time England was in war with France. And in the end when he is back in his memories, some of his last words are “…For I could have saved him, I could have saved him. He knew it even his shipmates knew it, though eartly laws silenced them”

. And Vere continues:  “O what have I done?”.

 

 

 

 

In the very long list of soloists in small and bigger roles, it is difficult to mention them all, still they would have deserved it, but a few ones I need to mention. The Novice, Brilliantly performed and sung by the young Francois Piolino, a good job. Yuri Kissin as Dansker. John Easterlin as Squeak, Andreas Jäggi as Red Whiskers. The big choir is wonderful, as I have often remarked. This evening supplied with a small boys choir who too were acting very well, and played smaller roles, and it made it all thrust worthy.    

 

 

 

 

 

The orchestra performed the difficult musically part splendid, and during the evening I enjoyed many great details, as for example the block flute (?). All under the conduction of Jeffrey Tate, who seems like he knows this music very well.

Vladimir Kapschuk (The Novice's friend), François Piolino (The Novice) et Lucas Meachem (Billy Budd), foto Ian Patrick

Francesca Cambello

has done a staging that I trusted in, in the intimae scenes, she is letting the scenes and the actors do their job, not being disturbed by effects, which I appreciate very much. The scenography, by Alison Chitty  was great, letting it easily change between the different parts  of the ship, up to where we were in the history was perfect solved. The costumes was good, giving the right atmosphaere from the time. Alan Burrett is responsible for the good light, giving the right atmosphaeres.