Billy Budd

Approximate running time 3 hrs. 0 min.

Britten’s keen operatic retelling of Herman Melville’s shipboard drama stars Nathan Gunn as the innocent hero and James Morris as his nemesis.

“Nathan Gunn performed the title role, looking the epitome of Melville’s handsome sailor and acting with youthful vigor... The conductor, the chorus and the set—all performed magnificently.” - AP

“Mr. Gunn’s singing... is robust, penetrating and warm; his phrasing smooth and refined. A born actor, he sings as if speaking the words.” - New York Times

“Conductor David Robertson urged spectacular sound from the Met orchestra, and the men’s chorus under the direction of Donald Palumbo made poetry of the sailors’ wordless chants.” - New York Post

"A superb revival...The orchestra under David Robertson gave a tense, bracing account of Britten’s bristling score.” - The Classical Review

Synopsis