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Britten Billy Budd

Captain Vere John Mark Ainsley
Billy Budd Jacques Imbrailo
Claggart Phillip Ens
Mr Redburn Iain Paterson
Mr Flint Matthew Rose
Lieutenant Ratcliffe Darren Jeffery
Red Whiskers Alasdair Elliott
Donald John Moore
Dansker Jeremy White
Novice Ben Johnson
Squeak Colin Judson
Bosun Richard Mosley-Evans

The Glyndebourne Chorus/ London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Mark Elder
Director: Michael Grandage

Opus Arte DVD 7086D

Life at sea in 1797 is probably more claustrophobic seen at home than in the opera house. A superb realisation of Billy Budd.

The opera is a little slow at first and the measured reiteration of thoughts is better taken without subtitles.

Casting uniformly excellent, and held together unerringly by Mark Elder and the LPO.

The set is brilliant as is its exploration by the cameras. A lot of it is dark, as is the story, but vivid on BluRay. Essential for any Britten collection.

Peter Grahame Woolf

Another review: ***** BRILLIANT, WONDERFUL, SUPERB, FANTASTIC, MIND BLOWING !!!!!! Probably one of the best productions of one of the best operas ever !!!! The soloists are superb ! The chorus is on top form ! The orchestra cannot be faulted ! & Mark Elder brings the whole together in an exemplary fashion.

See Musical Pointers review of the ENO production with Philip Langridge as Captain Vere