MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2024
60,000 reviews
... and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger

REVIEW
Plain text for smartphones & printers


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Chandos recordings
All Chandos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

Support us financially by purchasing this disc from
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976)
The Rape of Lucretia - opera in two acts Op.37 [116:26]
Full Performers: Female Chorus - Catherine Pierard (soprano); Male Chorus - Nigel Robson (tenor); Lucretia - Jean Rigby (alto); Lucia - Patricia Rozario (soprano); Bianca - Ameral Gunson (mezzo); Tarquinius - Donald Maxwell (baritone); Junius - Alan Opie (baritone); Collatinus - Alastair Miles (bass)
City of London Sinfonia/Richard Hickox
rec. Goldsmiths College, London, 5-8 July 1993
no text or translations included
CHANDOS CHAN 241-51 [52:12 + 64:14]

The Rape of Lucretia was Britten's first chamber opera, following the success of Peter Grimes but looking forward very clearly to the operas and "parables" that followed it. For many years it was regarded with some critical disdain, especially for its libretto, but now it appears to be more generally accepted as one of the composer's most imaginative and dramatic works, full of vivid and varied music. Extended excerpts conducted by Reginald Goodall were recorded soon after the premiere and an early live performance under the same conductor is available. The composer's own later recording lacks the immediacy of those early recordings but has the immense advantage of Janet Baker as Lucretia. The present recording also has much to commend it but is sadly lacking in dramatic tension or immediacy.

The cast is dominated by Jean Rigby's admirably portrayed Lucretia, warm but positive in a role that can seem monochrome in character. She lacks the warmth of voice of Janet Baker or Kathleen Ferrier but has a poise and dignity in the role that make up for it. The three men are all well sung but more contrasted voices would have helped, in the first scene especially. Patricia Rozario is well cast as Lucia, well contrasted with Ameral Gunson as Biana. The roles of Male and Female Chorus are well sung by Nigel Robson and Catherine Pierard but without the sheer passion or dramatic involvement heard in the early recordings with Peter Pears and Joan Cross.

I suspect that the main problem lies in the conducting of Richard Hickox. The detail of Britten's wonderful scoring for a chamber orchestra is apparent but there is a general lack of forward momentum or the kind of telling detail or characterisation that brings the score to life.

Chandos include a forty page booklet with the set but unfortunately it lacks the libretto. Good as Eric Roseberry's essay is the listener needs to be able to follow the words in detail, and the diction of most of the cast, at least as recorded here, lacks the clarity to enable this.

All in all, this is a respectable but by no means indispensable version of the opera, and although presented as part of "The Hickox Legacy" does not show this wonderfully gifted conductor at his best.

John Sheppard

Britten discography & review index: The Rape of Lucretia