“… All of the parts here are sung with great vividness (though not, perhaps, displacing their predecessors), but in one respect the set is a clear winner: the perfectly attuned conducting by Edward Gardner is captured in phenomenally wide-ranging Chandos sound. A new generation who will grow to know the piece with this performance will find that they are in the best of hands.”

“… An outstanding recording quality, made in Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway, with a spacious yet detailed sound picture. This is a case where one doesn’t need visuals, the audio alone creates the imagery of the opera stage. The changing distances at which the soloists and chorus are captured aid the dramatic and operatic experience. The singers move across panoramically while the orchestra remains in-place, demonstrating the care and attention Chandos engineers have taken to project the narrative. The cast, chorus, orchestra, and conductor share a cohesive vision here. Together they highlight the tragedies and ambiguities of the plot, which are powerfully convincing and intensely engaging, sometimes terrifying. A must-have recording for any Britten or opera aficionado.”

“Britten’s opera sounds huge and thrilling in a nuanced recording with sparkling interplay between singers and orchestra – it’s rarely sounded better.” *****