Benjamin Britten
Cooke, Mervyn / Reed, Philip / Wagner, Richard Billy Budd, based on Herman Melville's nautical allegory, is one of Britten's most challenging operas. This comprehensive guide considers the work from both literary and musical viewpoints. Melville's novella is discussed as is the interpretation given to the novela by the librettists E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier.