The Universe of Billy Budd.
As part of its policy to open up the world of classical music and opera to as wide an audience as possible through its programme Classics for all, the British Council has formed a partnership with the Teatro Real in Madrid on occasion of the theatre’s two hundredth anniversary and in particular to celebrate one of this season’s most outstanding premieres: a new production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd directed by the British stage director Deborah Warner.
Based on Herman Melville’s eponymous novel, this opera in two acts composed in 1951 by Benjamin Britten takes place on a British warship and tells the story of the sailor Billy Budd, a young, handsome, strong and guileless man whose looks and personality drive the ship’s Captain to despair and who is unable to control the situation and sends Billy to his death.
To celebrate the premiere the British Council will offer one of its students a grant to attend the course “The mysteries of Billy Budd” delivered by Luis Gago (more information here) and will organise an interview with Joyce Henderson (from the theatre company Complicite) which will be broadcast live from the Teatro Real via the British Council Facebook page at 4pm on 12th January 2017.