Billy Budd Nathan Gunn baritone

Captain Vere Ian Bostridge tenor

London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus / Daniel Harding

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Prologue 'I am an old man' (Vere)
2. Pull, my bantams! Pull, my sparrow-legs!...Who did that? (First Mate et al)
3. Guard boat! Indomitable! (Maintop et al)
4. First man forward! (Claggart et al)
5. Your name? - Billy Budd, sir (Claggart/Billy/First Lieutenant/Sailing Master)
6. Billy Budd, king of the birds (Billy/Sailing Master/First Lieutenant/Ratcliffe)

Disc 2:

1. I heard your honour! (Claggart/Squeak/Novice's Friend)
2. Come along kid! Come along! (Novice's Friend/Novice/Chorus)
3. Christ! The poor chap, the poor little runt! (Billy/Dansker/Red Whiskers/Donald)
4. What's that? What's those whistles? (Billy/Donald/Claggart/First Mate/Second Mate/Bosun)
5. Starry Vere we call him (Donald/Billy/Chorus/Red Whiskers/Dansker/Bosun)
6. Boy! - Yes sir! (Vere/Boy)
7. Gentlemen, the King! (Vere/First Lieutenant/Sailing Master)
8. Ay, at Spithead the men may have had their grievances (Vere/Sailing Master/First Lieutenant)
9. We are, sir. Claggart is an able one...Land on the port bow, sir (First Lieutenant/Vere/Sailing Master/Ratcliffe)
10. Blow her away, Blow her to Hilo (Red Whiskers/Chorus/Billy/Donald/Dansker)
11. We're off to Samoa (Donald/Chorus/Red Whiskers/Billy/Donald/Dansker)
12. Hi! You...a...a... (Billy et al)
13. Over the water, over the ocean (Chorus/Claggart)
14. Come here, Remember your promise (Claggart/Novice)
15. Billy!...Hist! Billy Budd! (Novice/Billy)
16. Dansker, old friend, glad to see you! (Billy/Dansker)

Disc 3:

1. I don't like the look of the mist (Vere/First Lieutenant)
2. With great regret I must disturb your honour (Claggart/Vere)
3. Deck ahoy! Enemy sail on starboard bow! (Maintop et al)
4. Who'll volunteer to beard 'em in the smoke? (Vere et al.)
5. There you are again, Master-at-arms (Vere/Claggart/Boy)
6. O this cursed mist (Vere/First Lieutenant/Sailing Master/Ratcliffe)
7. Claggart, John Claggart, beware! I'm not so easily deceived (Vere/Billy)
8. Master-at-arms and foretopman, I speak to you both (Vere/Claggart/Billy)
9. God o' mercy! (Vere/Boy)
10. Gentlemen, William Budd here has killed the Master-at-arms (Vere/First Lieutenant/Sailing Master/Ratcliffe)
11. William Budd, you are accused... (First Lieutenant/Vere/Billy)
12. Poor fellow, who could save him? (First Lieutenant/Sailing Master/Ratcliffe)
13. I accept their verdict (Vere)
14. Look! Through the port comes the moon-shine astray! (Billy)
15. Here! Baby! (Dansker/Billy)
16. And farewell to ye, old Rights o' Man! (Billy)
17. Interlude
18. "According to the Articles of War..." (All except Vere)
19. Down all hands! And see that they go! (First Lieutenant et al)
20. We committed his body to the deep (Vere)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7937 in Music
• Released on: 2008-09-15
• Number of discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .76 pounds
• Running time: 165 minutes

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Customer Reviews

Just a superb version
A tremendous new recording, made at a live performance at the Barbican, London, of Britten's Billy Budd. A very strong cast, with Bostridge as Starry Vere, means that it is a pleasure from beginning to end. I was there at the performance, and although it was a concert performance (rather than a staged one) it was completely draining in its emotional intensity. Makes you realise what a great composer Britten was.

Buy it now!