Interpretation *****      Sound Quality ****      Repertoire Value ****      Booklet ***

“… Anna Patalong has totally absorbed Julie and explores all facets of this insecure woman with a versatile, high-pitched soprano. How she, together with the baritone Benedict Nelson, whose Jean exudes seductiveness paired with brutality, attests the abysses of the relationship with the most subtle undertones, is great musical theater. Differentiated character studies also succeed Rosie Aldridge as rebellious cook Kristin and Samuel Sakker as drunkard Ulrik... With the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the conductor Sakari Orama builds up a never-ending tension, exposes the sensual-romantic structures and always pays attention to transparency, which is optimally captured by the sound engineering…”

“… The four singers inhabit their roles with wholehearted conviction, getting beneath the skin of their characters without any compromise on vocal beauty… Patalong’s singing, in particular, captures Miss Julie’s contradiction; radiantly passionate as her hopes rise and desperately fragile as they shatter. Her final scenes are simultaneously tender and chilling. Nelson, as Jean, has an almost frightening ability to let his voice harden like cold steel, often immediately after a passage that shows him at his most warmly expressive… And no one familiar with Sakari Oramo’s way of stripping the varnish from British music will be surprised by the atmospheric and vivid playing that he draws from the BBC Symphony Orchestra: there’s an almost forensic clarity, coupled to an unflagging tension and sense of forward movements…”

“… The cast is superb, and the BBC Orchestra under Sakari Oramo's strong direction brings out all of the nuance of Alwyn's score. Excellent, well-balanced multi-channel audio. This is a class production with a 92-page booklet with many photos, informative program notes and the complete libretto. An important release! Thank you, Chandos!