Billy Budd. [Opera in four acts, op. 50, by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by Edward Morgan Forster and Eric Crozier after Herman Melville s novella. Pre-publication copy of the piano-vocal score from the library of the librettist and author, E. M. Forster

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5 volumes. Small folio. Original printed wrappers of a different color to each volume: dark ivory, green, blue, dark pink, and light green. 1-96; 97-144; 145-240; 241-304; 305-348 pp. In a custom-made quarter dark red morocco archival clamshell box with matching silk boards, raised bands and titling gilt to spine: "Billy Budd / Britten / E.M. Forster's Copy." Each volume with the name of the co-librettist, E. M. Forster (1879-1970), hand-lettered in upper and lower case in his autograph to upper outer corner of upper wrapper together with autograph annotations relating to volume number, acts, and scenes both below title and to lower outer corners of each upper wrapper. With small rectangular printed label "This book belongs to E. M. Forster" to upper wrapper of Vol. I. Wrappers very slightly worn and creased, spines faded. Minor internal wear. In very good condition overall. Pre-publication copy, never offered for sale and for private distribution only. The first edition was not published until 1952. Banks: Benjamin Britten: A Catalogue of the Published Works, pp. 95-97. "Billy Budd was commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain for the Festival of Britain, 1951. Britten had discussed a possible opera on Melville s story with Crozier and Forster in late 1948 and early 1949, before the work was actually commissioned. The libretto evolved through four versions during 1949, and composition was begun in earnest during the summer of 1950. Originally planned in two acts, it was first performed in a four-act version, with Theodor Uppman in the title role, Peter Pears as Vere and Frederick Dalberg as Claggart, conducted by the composer. In 1960 Britten produced a two-act version, in which the main change was the excision of the original Act 1 finale where Captain Vere appears to general acclaim and addresses the crew. The revised version was first heard the next year under the composer s baton and has since remained the accepted version." Arnold Whittall in Grove Music Online "Inviting a major literary figure like E.M. Forster to become his librettist was possibly to risk a recurrence of the difficulties with Auden, but Forster was a master of prose, not poetry, and the author of Howard s End and A Passage to India held the promise of helping Britten move beyond his preoccupations with the innocent and the oppressed. After some discussion, the two settled unshakably on Melville s Billy Budd." Philip Brett and Heather Wiebe in Grove Music Online A fine association copy housed in a highly attractive clamshell box. N° de ref. del artículo 40366

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