大象传媒

Live from Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Suffolk

Presented by Louise Fryer

One of the highlights of this year's Aldeburgh Festival is this concert performance of Britten's opera The Rape of Lucretia, with an exceptional line-up of soloists. Although there are mixed views about its strength as a theatre piece, the work contains some of Britten's most ravishing and beautiful music. In this, his first chamber opera, he achieves an extraordinary intensity and orchestral colour with only 13 instrumentalists. Ronald Duncan's libretto is based on the play "Le Viol de Lucr猫ce" by Andr茅 Obey, and Britten created the title role for Kathleen Ferrier, who gave the premi猫re at Glyndebourne in July 1946. Angelika Kirschlager takes on the mantle in this performance, with Oliver Knussen conducting the Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble and a stellar cast including Ian Bostridge, Susan Gritton, Christopher Purves and Claire Booth.

7.30 Britten: The Rape of Lucretia, Op.37 - Act I

Male Chorus ..... Ian Bostridge (tenor)
Female Chorus ..... Susan Gritton (soprano)
Collatinus ..... Christopher Purves (baritone)
Junius ..... Benjamin Russell (baritone)
Tarquinius ..... Peter Coleman-Wright (baritone)
Lucretia ..... Angelika Kirchschlager (contralto)
Bianca ..... Hilary Summers (mezzo-soprano)
Lucia ..... Claire Booth (soprano)
Aldeburgh Festival Ensemble
Oliver Knussen conductor.