Billy Budd - ROH

[Belgrove]

A new production, in conjunction with Madrid and Rome where it has already played to acclaim with the same cast, opens at Covent Garden next week. Jacques Imbraglio and Brindley Sherratt (last seen as hero and villain in the magnificent Glyndebourne production) are joined by Toby Spence as Vere. Not sure if this is to be broadcast, but Deborah Warner, the director, features on Music Matters on 20 April. Anyone going?

[Conchis]

A new production, in conjunction with Madrid and Rome where it has already played to acclaim with the same cast, opens at Covent Garden next week. Jacques Imbraglio and Brindley Sherratt (last seen as hero and villain in the magnificent Glyndebourne production) are joined by Toby Spence as Vere. Not sure if this is to be broadcast, but Deborah Warner, the director, features on Music Matters on 20 April. Anyone going?

No plans to go, but will be interested to see how the production turns out. Warner has become a conventional director if her Met Eugen Onegin is anything to go by. Who'd have thought it? Unless that was just a 'money gig.'

[bluestateprommer]

From the NYT on the opera, with a short mention of the DW production currently:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/billy-budd-opera.html

[Mary Chambers]

I’d have loved to go, but I can no longer manage the journey to Covent Garden. However, my son is going and will report back to me. He goes to quite a lot of opera, but this will be his first Britten.

[Conchis]

I’d have loved to go, but I can no longer manage the journey to Covent Garden. However, my son is going and will report back to me. He goes to quite a lot of opera, but this will be his first Britten.

Did you see the previous (Francescsa Zamebllo) production? It was my introduction to Billy Budd, and I thought it was splendid. The climax was a suitably horrible (and convincing) spectacle.

I've always felt that Vere is a straw man - and knows it.

[David-G]

I am going this evening.

[Belgrove]

The performance at Tuesday's opening night was a success, but not a resounding success, the production and conducting failing to deliver a knock-out punch.

The singing was exemplary in every instance. Jacques Imbrailo has become the go-to performer in the title role - he looks the part, gives a convincing portrayal of Billy's innocence and redemptive qualities, and has a beautiful baritone-gris tone (would love to hear him do Pelléas). His Billy in the Darbies solo is heartbreaking. Brindley Sherratt has also made Claggart something of a specialty. He is not just an out-and-out bass villian, but gives a portrayal of an acetic, scholarly, controlled and controlling individual who is appalled by, but unable to suppress the feelings that Billy arouses in him. Not as chilling or indeed frightening as his performance at Glyndebourne, there he seemed a danger even to the audience. Toby Spence's Vere was a subtle portrayal of a conflicted and deeply flawed leader - Pilate personified. Spence is excellent in everything I've seen him in. All the minor roles were cast at strength, and the large chorus was simply magnificent.

Ivor Bolton's conducting was more problematic. He gave an almost forensic exploration of the score, I have never heard so much of the inner detail come through in a performance. It was fascinating, but lacked dramatic thrust - very beautiful, indeed exquisite in the quieter passages, but sometimes becalmed in the doldrums. The saxophone player gave a wonderfully dirty accompaniment to Claggart's Credo, and a sinuously doleful and sympathetic one to the aftermath of the Novice's punishment. Unusually, the ROH orchestra's brass section had an off-night.

Deborah Warner's production is essentially abstract, HMS Indomitable being represented by a network of rigging that, when suitably back-lit, resembles prison bars. There is much pulling of ropes, but for no discernible reason or effect. The quarter-deck is a platform that can be lowered or raised by ropes, to best effect when the crew's hammocks are revealed strung up from beneath. There seemed to be a ditch running across the stage, through which Squeak ran and plashed for no discernible reason. The officers wear 20th Century uniforms despite the text's specific reference to the events of the French War and mutinies of 1797, again for no discernible reason. Some of the staging did not work. After being flogged, the bloody Novice drags himself across the vast expanse of the stage whilst his friend, rather than giving assistance, walks ahead of him. Perhaps the friend's fear of being associated with the Novice was meant to be conveyed, but this pair were not being spied upon by anyone else - a poignant dramatic moment dissipated despite the fine music making. The exciting preparation for the attack on the French ship was busy but aimless, much lugging of ammunition, but no guns, no bang! The set is airy rather than claustrophobic and fails to generate the tension required of a kettled crew about to blow. The famous sequence of 34 major and minor chords depicting Vere's conveying of the verdict of the drumhead court was played with full view of the two protagonists, but with no reaction between them. A nice touch though was when Billy, upon being consigned below decks to await execution, tenderly places his hand upon Vere's head, a benediction. The crew are only witnesses to Billy's execution and not party to hauling him aloft, an act that surely adds to the mutinous atmosphere. Billy's execution is of his own volition, ascending a vertical ladder - an ascent to heaven. A nice idea but one that undermines the drama. So there were too many errors in the production that collectively add to compromise the first class quality of the performances. But one comes away, reminded of and convinced by the power of Britten's achievement.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I was there on Tuesday (but had to leave about 50 minutes from the end, as I was feeling somewhat unwell (now recovered).

I see there are only a few performances, and they are nearly all sold out. I agree with pretty much everything you have said Belgrove - but haven't posted here through lack of time.

I first saw the piece at Glyndebourne - and was bowled over by the set, production and performance. I went to the revival. I checked out the DVD of that production and it has tremendous impact. I'm glad ROH performed it, but at the end of the day, its Glyndebourne's which will remain memorable.

[David-G]

I was afraid that after the Glyndebourne Billy Budd, this might be a disappointment. It wasn't. I don't disagree with Belgrove's comments about the production, but they didn't worry me. Nor was I worried about the conducting. I found the performance magnificent.

[Lancashire Lass]

I agree with David-G, I can appreciate Belgrove's very valid comments, but I was in tears at the end -- one of my benchmarks I'm afraid -- and so were a large part of the audience, judging by the sniffing and nose-blowing. So not bad for a composer whose style and content is the antithesis of bel canto and star-crossed lovers, even though of course it is a heartbreaking story anyway. Jacques Imbrailo and Brindley Sherratt were wonderful.

I couldn't believe how well the orchestral detail came out. I've never heard the Sea Interludes live (but wanted to) and really enjoyed the similar harmonies being brought out so beautifully. It was my first Britten opera and I'll be back for more!

In contrast, (O/T, sorry) I saw Faust last night and by comparison it left me cold. It was a visually stunning production with outstanding performances from my favourite tenor Michael Fabiano (spine-tingling voice but you *still* need to sort out those dynamics and other detail Michael!), Stephane Degout as Valentin and Marta Fontanals-Simmons as Siebel. The orchestra was wonderful as well (vastly impressed the Swiss woman sitting near me who's a professional violinist) with good support from the chorus.

But the opera is a moral fable, it revolves around stock characters rather than real people and is emotionally uninvolving. I suppose what I'm saying is that you have to work with whatever opera you've got and at the end of the day, whatever any minor shortcomings of the Britten, I was a happy tear-streaked punter leaving the ROH on Tuesday, satisfied but unmoved last night. I know which I prefer!

[alywin]

Unusually, the ROH orchestra's brass section had an off-night.

"Unusually"? What's unusual about it? If current performances of Romeo & Juliet are anything to go by, it seems to be par for the course at the moment

[Prommer]

And just in time, at the International Opera Awards last night, the ROH was given the "Opera Orchestra" gong...

[Ein Heldenleben]

I went last night and would heartily endorse all the comments about the singing . It would be difficult to imagine a better sung performance. I thought the orchestra were fine . I wonder if criticism of the brass might be because of the unbelievably punishing schedule they have at the moment - Budd , Faust and Romeo and Juliet in a week. They were fine last night . The chorus were magnificent . Yes you can nit- pick about the production but the standard of acting right down to the smallest roles was very high and that must have something to do with Deborah Warner's extensive theatre experience . In all I found last night's performance overwhelming and I would very strongly recommend any Britten fans to do anything they can to get to the remaining two (returns only ) public performances. It is such a shame that this masterpiece ( the masterpiece ? ) of English opera is only receiving four open performances at our premier opera house - particularly as it hasn't been given there for twenty years .

[Maclintick]

I agree wholeheartedly with Belgrove. Over the years this opera has received many fine productions, of which this was one, but memories of John Tomlinson as Claggart, Simon Keenleyside, Roddy Wiiliams & Rod Gilfry as Billy were by no means erased by present company -- let alone Mark Padmore's intensely anguished Vere. Ivor Bolton's conducting was competent but lacked impetus at times.

[Don Basilio]

Brought tears to my eyes too. A wonderful production and performance. The only slight hitch is that Toby Spence singing "I am an old man now" is risible. It restored my faith in current production style. It added details - Billy laying his hands on Vere's head as he left after his condemnation - but it was faithful to the intentions of the original. No attempt to re-write the plot.

Incidentally, I noticed this was the 40 something performance at the ROH. La forza was about the same number of performances. Faust was the 472nd performance! If Faust hadn't been such a warhorse up to c1950 and had only been just discovered, it would probably be much admired. As it was it was my least favourite of the three, although I enjoyed it.