Paul Bunyan, Op 17, is an operetta in two acts and a prologue composed by Benjamin Britten to a libretto by W. H. Auden, designed for performance by semi-professional groups. It premiered at Columbia University on 5 May 1941, to largely negative reviews, and was withdrawn by the composer. Britten revised it somewhat in 1976 and subsequently it had numerous performances and two commercial recordings. The story is based on the folkloric American lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, with the music incorporating a variety of American styles, including folk songs, blues and hymns. The work is strongly sectional in nature, highly reminiscent of the 'Broadway musical' style of the period.

Librettist W. H. Auden
Date of composition 1941 (November 1939 - April 1941; revised in 1974-1975)
Premiered 1941, May 5th (Columbia University, Brander Matthews Hall) in New York, NY, United States
Type Operetta
Catalogue BTC 893
Approx. duration 114 minutes
Spoken language English
Instruments Narrator, Recitant, Speaker - The Voice of Paul Bunyan
Voice (Soprano) - Tiny, Paul's daughter
Voice (Tenor) - Johnny Inkslinger
Voice (Tenor) - Hot Biscuit Slim, a good cook
Voice (Baritone) - Narrator and Balladeer (in the Interludes)
Voice (Tenor) - Sam Sharkey, a bad cook
Voice (Bass) - Ben Benny, another bad cook
Voice (Baritone) - Hel Helson, foreman
Voice (Bass) - Cross Crosshaulson, a Swede
Voice (Bass) - Jen Jenson, a Swede
Voice (Tenor) - Pete Peterson, a Swede
Voice (Tenor) - Andy Anderson, a Swede
Voice (Soprano) - Fido, a dog
Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Moppet, a cat
Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Poppet, a cat
Voice (Tenor) - Western Union Boy
Voice (Baritone) - John Shears, a farmer
4x Voice - Quartet of the Defeated (Blues)
Voice (Baritone) - Four cronies of Hel Helson
Narrator, Recitant, Speaker - Multiple; Heron, Moon, Wind, Beetle, Squirrel
Autotranslations beta Benjamin Britten: Paul Bunyan, BTC 893
Benjamin Britten: Paul Bunyan, BTC 893
Benjamin Britten: Paul Bunyan, BTC 893