Benjamin Britten: BILLY BUDD
Libretto by E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier, after the novel by Herman
Melville
Cast
Edward Fairfax Vere,
Captain of HMS Indomitable............................
Timothy Robinson
First Mate.................................................. Paul Napier-Burrows
Second Mate................................................. Andrew Tinkler
Mr Flint, Sailing Master.............................
Pavlo Hunka
Bosun................................................ Nicholas Folwell
Donald............................................... Toby Stafford-Allen
Maintop.............................................. Andrew Rees
Novice .............................................. James Edwards
Squeak, a ship's corporal............................ Richard Coxon
Mr. Redburn, First Lieutenant........................ Ashley Holland
Lieutenant Ratcliffe............................................... Brindley Sherratt
John Claggart, Master-at-Arms........................... John Tomlinson
Red Whiskers, an impressed man........................... Adrian Thompson
Arthur Jones, an impressed man............................ Geraint Hilton
Billy Budd, foretopman............................................... Simon Keenlyside
Novice's friend.................................................. William Berger
Dansker, an old seaman.................................................. Gwynne Howell
Midshipmen/powder monkeys
Michael Evans Ben Freeburn Thomas Jennings
Bruce Lancaster-Rous Tim Lehner Charles Manton
Dominic Novak Johan de Silva
Chorus and orchestra of English National Opera
Conductor: Andrew Litton
Run, do not walk, to see this! If, indeed, there are any tickets left...
This is a production and a performance of which ENO can be proud. The
orchestral playing under Andrew Litton was superb throughout. The first
sombre menacing chords set the scene as the curtain rise on a sombre,
almost empty space in which Captain Vere sits alone, remembering the
events aboard the HMS Indomitable in 1797.
It is a very minimalist set, consisting of little more than a platform
which rises, sinks or swivels as the need arises, and two other smaller
platforms that can be pushed in place to serve as look-out posts. I was
perfectly happy with this - I have read elsewhere that some audience
members would have perferred more realism, in the shape of rigging, a
mast, etc, but for me the minimalist setting was PSYCHLOGICALLY realistic
and convincing.
I felt that the casting of Timothy Robinson as Captain Vere was perhaps
less than ideal, especially with my memories of Philip Langridge (and
Anthony Rolfe-Johnson on CD). Although he did seem to be able to convey
Vere's awareness of the loneliness of command, the sound was sometimes
muffled and I could not always hear the words. (I know this is often said
about the Coliseum, and it obviously has as much to do with the acoustics
as with the singers' diction, but I COULD hear every word that Tomlinson
and Keenlyside sang). This was a problem when it came to the point at
which Vere decides to tell Billy his fate; if the sound is muffled, the
point that Vere's lines at this point are an ironic reprise of Claggart's
monologue is missed. Vere sings...
"before what tribunal do I stand if I destroy goodness? The angel of God
has struck and the angel must hang - through me. Beauty, handsomeness,
goodness, it is for me to destroy you".
Which echoes the sentiments expressed in Claggart's monologue. ("I, John
Claggart....have you in my power and I will destroy you")
Tomlinson was a very dark, menacing Claggart...terrifying in fact (naval
regulations dictated that he should shave off his beard!)Hearing Tomlinson
sing the monologue "O beauty, handsomeness, goodness! Would that I have
never encountered you") is indeed an encounter with the twisted soul of
Claggart, almost unbearable in its intensity - but one also feels a sort
of horrified pity for him, that he realises he is evil and can do nothing
about it, to save either himself or Billy.
Keenlyside was good at conveying the unselfconscious innocence of Billy -
he also looked good in the part, swinging athletically from bars and
climbing nonchalantly up ladders. He wasn't at his best in "Billy in the
Darbies", unfortunately, but this is where the orchestral playing really
came into its own, with those haunting, plangent tones on the high
woodwinds.
One thing that struck me about the production was that Billy's red scarf
became a sort of visual leitmotif. Perhaps a trifle unsubtle? But
effective, nonetheless. Claggart takes it when he orders Billy to take it
off, then during the monologue he takes it out of his pocket and twists it
in his hands - later he uses it to wrap the coins for his false accusation
against Billy. Finally Captain Vere "inherits" it - and the opera ends as
it began, with Captain Vere alone on the stage, stripped of his naval
insignia (he removes his hat, jacket and sword as Billy is hanged), but he
has Billy's scarf in his hands......
Dr. Jane Susanna ENNIS
http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/leonora/opera.html
