Billy Bud

Synopsis

Britten worked with E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier as his librettists, and the work went through a number of different versions before arriving at its final two-act form. The opera, based on a story by Herman Melville, tells of the destruction of the innocent seaman Billy Budd on board the HMS Indomitable during the French wars of 1797. With its stirring music and moving presentation of its all-male cast, Billy Budd is now regarded as one of the great stage works of the twentieth century. The guide has an article that details the compositional process of the opera and the relationship between Britten and his librettists. A detailed musical analysis looks at the score and a further article describes the opera's critical reception and performance history. Illustrations, a thematic guide, the full libretto and reference sections are also included.