Billy Budd

An adaptation of a novella by Herman Melville, Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd unfolds entirely onboard a British warship during the Napoleonic Wars and sees the forces of good and evil do battle in the form of the idealist title character and the malevolent master-at-arms John Claggart. In this radio broadcast, the opera makes a rare appearance on the Met stage, starring baritone Dale Duesing as Billy Budd, tenor Richard Cassilly as Captain Vere, baritone Peter Glossop as Mr. Redburn, baritone Richard J. Clark as Mr. Flint, and bass Ezio Flagello as Dansker. Rounding out the principal cast, bass-baritone John Morris delivers a chilling portrayal as Claggart—one of his signature roles—with Maestro David Atherton leading the mighty Met Orchestra and Chorus.