CLASSICAL AND JAZZ: Billy Budd at London Coliseum
Published: 21 June, 2012
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
Quite spectacular playing of Benjamin Britten’s magnificent orchestral music underpins a new English National Opera production of his opera Bill Budd at the Coliseum.
At every turn, from accompanying large choral set pieces to providing the light texture for soloists’ medleys, conductor Edward Gardner brings out each and every nuance of Britten’s music.
It’s a wonderful score for one of the largest orchestra’s employed by Britten: triple woodwind including alto sax, full brass section, percussion and the usual strings – and his ubiquitous harp pops up every now and then.
Indeed, the orchestral music is so entrancing that it’s often difficult to concentrate on what’s going on on the stage.
That’s partly because David Alden’s production is so gloomy, placed for the most part below decks in the dark hull of HMS Indomitable sailing the high seas. Oddly, too, HM officers are dressed in shiny black leather favoured by the Gestapo and the seamen in garbage collectors’ clothing.
That soloists do so well is partly due to the strong characterisations of Britten’s librettists, EM Forster and Eric Crozier, relating the Herman Melvillie story.
Matthew Rose is outstanding as John Claggart, the closet gay master-at-arms with the hots for Billy, well portrayed as the innocent, pure seaman by Benedict Nelson.
And Kim Begley excels as the ship’s captain Edward Vere wrestling with his conscience after failing to prevent the sentence of death passed on Billy.
• Billy Budd, London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2, 7pm on June 23, 27, 30, July 3, 5; and 3pm on July 8, tickets from £26, 020 7845 9300, www.eno.org