Sun, Oct 19, 1952
Billy Budd is a young English seaman who has a lusty love of life and a deep devotion to his captain, the master of the ship on which he sails. When Claggert, master-at-arms on the vessel, accuses Billy of treason, he is bewildered and speechless. The only way Billy knows how to answer him is by striking him, which kills him. Because of the unjust code of the 19th-century British Navy, he is tried by the ship's officers, found guilty and the penalty is death. The captain who has always cherished the lad feels helpless and does not speak up in his defense due to the code of the sea. Billy goes to his death still singing the praises of the captain.
Sun, Nov 16, 1952
This one-act opera deals with one day in the lives of a suburban couple, who have been married for ten years and have now reached a point where boredom has set in. They want to get back together, but something holds them apart. They have breakfast and then Sam goes to work and later to his athletic club. Dinah goes to her psychiatrist, to an afternoon movie, entitled Trouble in Tahiti, and then back home in time to make dinner for Sam. After trying to make conversation at home in the evening, Sam suggests a movie and they leave for the movie where they will not have to communicate with one another. A jazz trio plays the role of a Greek chorus, giving the plot of the story from time to time.