By some magic, one finds oneself totally engrossed and immersed in this gloomy tale of bullying and abuse set at the turn of the 18th century. Billy Budd has been press-ganged from the merchant ship 'Rights O'Man'. His effusive farewell to his old ship using its name is misinterpreted as a sign that he is a potential mutineer. The master-at-arms, Claggart, takes a particular downer on Budd and tries to frame him but Budd strikes and kills Claggart when the latter makes his accusation in front of the Captain, Edward Vere. For this murder, Budd is sentenced to death by hanging from the yardarm. And so the opera ends, with Vere in his old age recalling these events with sorrow.
We are left wondering why Claggart took such an extreme dislike of Budd - was it his handsomeness that is frequently referred to? I was also struck by the graphic portrayal of the harshness of life at sea for those below decks - as well as the enviable club class life of the Captain. It is incredible that this was life just over 200 years ago.
The orchestra was excellent in its playing of Britten's score and gained well-deserved applause. The set designed by Michael Levine was also magnificent with the deck raised and lowered, revealing the men in their hammocks and other life below decks. The only element that jarred for me was a trench full of water that people routinely splashed through. It seemed a bit of a distraction.
No comments:
Post a Comment