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Billy Budd

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Based On

the novella by Herman Melville

Company
San Francisco Opera Association
Location
San Francisco, CA
Venue
War Memorial Opera House
Season
1978
Language
English

Creative/Crew

Conductor
Stage Director(s)
New settings after designs by
Scenery supervised by
Projection photography by
Chorus Director
Lighting Designer
Musical Preparation
Prompter

Cast

Edward Fairfax Vere
First Mate
Second Mate
Sailor
Donald
Maintop
Novice
Squeak
Mr. Redburn
Mr. Ratcliffe
John Claggart
Red Whiskers
Arthur Jones
Billy Budd
Novice's Friend
Dansker
Gunner
Cabin Boy

Show Dates

Broadcast

9/19/1978, live broadcast, KKHI and NPR. 

Time and Place

Aboard the Indomitable, a British man-of-war, during the French wars of 1797

Scenes

PROLOGUE -- Captain Vere's room
Act I, Scene 1 -- The main-deck of H.M.S. Indomitable
Scene 2 -- Captain Vere's cabin
Scene 3 -- The berth deck
INTERMISSION
Act II, Scene 1 -- The main-deck and quarter-deck
Scene 2 -- Captain Vere's cabin
Scene 3 -- A bay on the gun-deck
Scene 4 -- The main-deck and quarter-deck
EPILOGUE -- Captain Vere's room

Media

Notes

9/19/1978, live broadcast, KKHI and NPR. Intermission interview: Role of the chorus in Billy Budd, Richard Bradshaw (guest).

John Piper's set designs -- courtesy of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
John Tooley, General Administrator

Members of the Masterworks Chorale, College of San Mateo
Galen Marshall, Director

San Francisco Boys Chorus
William Ballard, Director
John Aalberg
Stephen Abramowitz
Sean Barry
Matthew Brauer
Mark Burford
Michael Burke
Jeffrey Cox
Timothy Cox
David Devine
Laramie Crocker
John Dougery
George Fernandez
Robyn Fladen-Kamm
David Flores
Christopher Frey
Lionel Godolphin
Peter Hicks
Philip Hommes
Christopher Kula
Benjamin Lewis
Douglas Lynn
Christopher Metcalf
Daniel Potasz
Liam Riordan
David Roberts
Eric Savant
Richard Treadwell
Christopher Tucker
Eric Van Genderen