Billy Budd is the second of Britten’s large scale operas.  Originally envisaged as a four act piece with prologue and epilogue it was later reorganised into two acts and that’s the version the BBC recorded and broadcast in 1966.  That broadcast has now been released on DVD.  Technically it shows it’s age.  The picture is 4:3 black and white though there’s a remastered, and very decent, LPCM mono sound track.  There’s also an enhanced Dolby mono track.  The video too has been restored and looks pretty decent.

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