Britten Thematic Catalogue

Manuscript Sources

1. Billy Budd - 11 items

   Title	Billy Budd
   Subtitle	An opera in four acts
   RefNo	BBM/billy_budd
   Date	Jan 1950- 2 Nov 1951
   Description	Libretto by E.M.Forster and Eric Crozier. Adapted from the story of Herman Melville. Dedicated to George and Marion Harewood.
   Extent	11 items

   1. Text Sources - 5 items

      Title	Text Sources
      RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/1
      Date	1949-1951
      Extent	5 items

      1. Libretto draft - 1 item (28 pages)

         Title	Libretto draft
         Subtitle	Britten's working copy
         RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/1/1
         Date	circa 1950
         Description	Incomplete typescript draft with annotations by Britten. Lacks pages 1-8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 25-29.
         Extent	1 item (28 pages)
         PhysicalDescription	Typescript, pencil, pen; 20.9 x 25.3 cm.

   2. Holographs - 4 items

      Title	Holographs
      RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/2
      Date	1951
      Extent	4 items

      1. Composition draft - 1 manuscript; 1 page [1v]

         Title	Composition draft
         Subtitle	First verse of sea shanty
         RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/2/1
         Date	11 Feb 1951
         Description	Composition draft on the reverse of a letter to E.M.Forster.
         Extent	1 manuscript; 1 page [1v]
         PhysicalDescription	Blue ink; 13.6 x 17.7 cm.
         RelatedRecord	COR/BB/Forster/19510211

      2. Composition draft - 108 page manuscript [1r-107r].

         Title	Composition draft
         Subtitle	Complete
         RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/2/2
         Date	1951
         Description	Composition draft of the complete score with a dedication to Imogen Holst: "For dear Imo, in place of a proper [underlined] copy of Budd which will come later with my great love & admiration / Ben / Xmas 1952".
         Extent	108 page manuscript [1r-107r].
         PhysicalDescription	Pencil; 36.7 x 27.2 cm.
         Pagination	Act 1[2r-30r] (Prologue [2r-3v]; Scene 1 [4r-30r] ). Act 2 [33r-59v] (Scene 1 [33r-40r]; Scene 2 [40r-59] ). Act 3 [61r-93r] (Scene 1 [61r-78v]; Scene 2 [79r-93r] ). Act 4 [95r-107] (Scene 1 [95r-99v; Scene 2[100r-107r] ).

   3. Non-holographs - 1 item

      Title	Non-holographs
      RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/3
      Date	1952
      Extent	1 item

      1. Vocal score - 67 page manuscript [1r-67v]

         Title	Vocal score
         Subtitle	Act 1 only
         RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/3/1
         Date	1951
         Description	Copyist's vocal score containing annotations and pasteovers by Britten and Erwin Stein. At the bottom of page 2r is written 'Copyright 1951 by Hawkes & Son (London) Ltd. B &H 17839'. Also on page 2r the work is described as "op. 49".Copyist: unidentified.
         Extent	67 page manuscript [1r-67v]
         PhysicalDescription	Pencil; blue pencil; red pencil; red ink; black ink and blue ink; 27.5 x 26.8 cm.
         Pagination	Prologue (2r-10r], Scene 1 [10v-67v].

   4. Interim material - 1 item

      Title	Interim material
      RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/4
      Date	1951
      Extent	1 item

      1. Dyeline full score - 4 volumes. Act 1 [51 pages], Act 2 [57 pages] ,Act

         Title	Dyeline full score
         RefNo	BBM/billy_budd/4/1
         Date	1951
         Description	Dyeline printed score with annotations by Britten. There are some additional handwritten pages pasted into some of the volumes. Most of the annotations pertain to the revised version of the opera.
         Extent	4 volumes. Act 1 [51 pages], Act 2 [57 pages] ,Act
         PhysicalDescription	Printed; 28.7 x 44.8 cm.