Last night on BBC Radio 3 I listened to Britten’s opera, recorded at the Met in 1997. A riveting performance, I was glued to the broadcast from first note to last. Great singing and characterisation (Dwayne Croft as Billy, the late Philip Langridge as Vere, James Morris as Claggart and Paul Plishka as Dansker), and conducted superbly by the recently deceased Steuart Bedford, the score unfolded with clarity and orchestral virtuosity, and with an idiomatic observance of the notation. Well-worth catching, or once again.
Billy Budd at the Met.
