Product Review

Seventy years after its Glyndebourne world premiere, Benjamin Britten's first chamber opera is welcomed home with ‘a performance of enthralling emotional power and physical beauty’ gifted with ‘piercingly intelligent, immaculately realised staging and superb singing, acting and playing’ led by ‘Fiona Shaw's supremely nuanced direction’ and underpinned by ‘febrile playing’ from members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (The Telegraph ★★★★★). The production eloquently and tastefully tackles the difficult subject, which is lent emotional weight by ‘Christine Rice's grandly sung Lucretia, noble in tone yet tragically vulnerable’, along with baritone Duncan Rock's ‘forthright’ Tarquinius and the ‘smooth bass’ of Matthew Rose as the caring Collatinus (The Guardian ★★★★).

Press Reviews
"This new production… the first at Glyndebourne since Britten's chamber opera had its premiere there in 1946, is quite the darkest – and possibly the most truthful – you’re likely to see in some time" (The Times ★★★★★)

"Piercingly intelligent, immaculately realised ... Here is music drama of the very highest power and quality." (The Daily Telegraph)

"A strong cast, including Christine Rice's noble Lucretia and Duncan Rock's forthright Tarquinius, bring Britten's tragic chamber opera vividly to life." (The Guardian ★★★★)

Cast
Christine Rice (Lucretia)
Allan Clayton (Male Chorus)
Kate Royal (Female Chorus)
Duncan Rock (Tarquinius)
Matthew Rose (Collatinus)
Catherine Wyn-Rogers (Bianca)
Michael Sumuel (Junius)
Louise Alder (Lucia)
London Philharmonic Orchestra; Leo Hussain

Production
Company: Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Stage Director: Fiona Shaw
Designer: Michael Levine

Disc Information
Catalogue Number: OABD7206D
Date of Performance: 2015
Running Time: 114 minutes
Sound: LPCM & DTS 5.1 / LPCM & DTS Master Audio 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/JP/KO
Label: Opus Arte