Britten: Paul Bunyan

This release marks the 80th anniversary of the premiere of Britten’s Paul Bunyan. An oddball in Britten’s catalogue, this operetta deals with the folkloric figure - very popular in the Midwest - of Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack always flanked with his fellow blue cow. Britten’s work, on a libretto by famous poet W. H. Auden is very much inspired by American traditional music, including elements of blues and musical. This extremely rare piece had fallen into neglect after a mixed debut, and was rejected by Britten himself until his late years when he revised and published it again.

Recorded by Philip Brunelle and the Orchestra of the Plymouth Music Series from Minnesota (state that claims the parentage of Bunyan), the opera includes three ballades performed by cowboy poet and fiddler Pop Wagner.