There is a commercial video available of the English National Opera production of BILLY BUDD with Thomas Allen as Billy. It also features Philip Langridge as a wonderfully ineffectual Captain Vere and Richard Van Allan as a despicable Claggart. Despite being a bit long in the tooth for Billy, Allen is brilliant enough an actor and singer to make you overlook his obvious maturity.
Also worth hearing is the recently release original cast recording of the opera with the magnificent performance of Theodor Uppman as Billy, and Peter Pears - for whom Britten wrote the role - as Vere. It's on VAI. I wish there was much more of Uppman on record - he was a truly talented singer.
Karen Mercedes ----- Ich sage euch: man muss noch Chaos in sich haben, um einen tanzenden Stern gebaeren zu koennen. - Friedrich Nietzsche, ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA
My NEIL SHICOFF Website: http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website: http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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