Amid all the glitter and flash accompanying their “Ring” cycle, the Met took time on Friday for an understated revival of Benjamin Britten’s moody opera “Billy Budd.”
It’s based on a Herman Melville story of a young, handsome sailor who’s bullied by a superior officer until he retaliates — and is hanged for his crime. But just as Melville’s “Moby Dick” concerns more than a whale, this tale carries a ton of allegorical weight.
In the 1951 opera, Billy is a Christ-like symbol of goodness, and his antagonist, the ship’s master-at-arms, Claggart, the embodiment of evil. Most interesting dramatically is the third principal character,
Captain Vere, who must judge Billy’s guilt.
It’s not the most vivid subject for an opera, at least not until the second act, which features Billy’s heartbreaking ballad-like aria as he awaits execution, followed by Vere’s lament, “I could have saved him!”
This “Billy Budd” would have worked better with a stronger set of singers. Nathan Gunn, sporting a lank blond wig and puffy shirt, looked more surfer than savior. Worse, his baritone sounded small and distant.
Debuting tenor John Daszak landed every syllable of the E.M. Forster/Eric Crozier libretto. But his singing and acting coarsened in Vere’s final scene, turning a monologue of self-reproach into a brassy “Rose’s Turn.”
Meanwhile, bass James Morris sleepwalked through the role of Claggart — a shame, really, because three decades ago, when the Met premiered this opera, he was chilling.
Supporting roles, though, showcased the Met’s superb male roster. Dwayne Croft, Ryan McKinny and especially Kyle Ketelsen wielded baritonal muscle as the trio of officers presiding over Billy’s trial.
Best of all was Keith Jameson as the tormented Novice, who betrays Billy. His light tenor skimmed effortlessly to the Met’s back row.
Conductor David Robertson urged spectacular sound from the Met orchestra, and the men’s chorus under the direction of Donald Palumbo made poetry of the sailors’ wordless chants.
The 1978 production, set on four decks of a British warship, still looks impressive, though David Kneuss’ direction is strictly by the numbers.
The Met’s current revival of “The Makropulos Case” showcases the company’s versatility. Too bad some of that magic didn’t rub off on “Billy Budd.”