Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents V
3. Editor’s note VII
4. Acknowledgements IX
5. Preface XI
6. Introduction: Operatic music and Britten XIII
7. Working with Britten 1
8. Designing for Britten 5
9. Writing for Britten 8
10. The first opera: Paul Bunyan 22
11. Staging first productions 1 24
12. Staging first productions 2 34
13. Staging first productions 3 44
14. The last opera: Death in Venice 59
15. Librettos
16. Paul Bunyan 63
17. Peter Grimes (derived from the poem of George Crabbe) 87
18. The Rape of Lucretia (after André Obey's play ‘Le Viol de Lucrèce’) 115
19. Albert Herring (freely adapted from a short story by Guy de Maupassant) 135
20. The Little Sweep 167
21. Billy Budd (adapted from the story by Herman Melville) 181
22. Gloriana 207
23. The Turn of the Screw (adapted from the story by Henry James) 231
24. Noye’s Fludde 249
25. A Midsummer Night's Dream (adapted from William Shakespeare) 259
26. Curlew River 281
27. The Burning Fiery Furnace 295
28. The Prodigal Son 309
29. The Golden Vanity 323
30. Owen Wingrave (based on a short story by Henry James) 329
31. Death in Venice (based on the short story by Thomas Mann) 351
32. Select Bibliography 377
33. Index to main text 379