Hippolyte et Aricie

In fact, this Glyndebourne production is actually quite impressive. A lot of people will have a preference for the more traditional production with Emanuelle Haim conducting, though this production has the much better Hippolyte, but this is a very worthy alternative.

Visually, it is very colourful and elegant. The concept with the omnipresent use of the refrigerator could easily have been ugly and trashy, but it wasn't and was done quite cleverly. Not everything about the staging works, there are a few oddities and parts where the concept distracts from the music and doesn't quite put the opera and Rameau's sublime music first. But most of it is very clever, imaginative and compelling, the storytelling always clear, coherent and the tragic elements are genuinely moving, with some genius and vastly entertaining touches, the choreography is suitably playful.

Musically, the production is superb, near-perfect in fact. The orchestral playing is energetic and nuanced with a large range of colours, emotions and textures, a perfect understanding of the French Baroque style and an elegant refinement. William Christie holds things together beautifully, with conducting that's as ever sympathetic and alert, a reading of incredible panache.

The singing and performances from the principals are a real pleasure. With the only disappointment being Christianne Karg's bland Aricie, having seen and been impressed by her previously in especially a scene-stealing performance in a very good production of Mozart's 'Die Schuldiekeit Des Ersten Gebots', as part of Salzburg's "Mozart 22" series.

Sarah Connolly is particularly note-worthy and on blistering form as a stunning Phaedra, being very rich, sumptuous and sensitive in voice and interpretatively grand and devastatingly vulnerable. Stephane Degout is also masterful as a sonorous and dignified Tesee, and Emmanuelle De Negri steals scenes in multiple roles especially with a show-stopping "A La Chasse". Ed Lyons is delicate and forceful as Hippolyte, and brings enough passion to the role, he is not quite up to the level of Connolly and Degout but he is close.

Overall, quite impressive, especially when staging a Rameau opera for the first which is no easy feat and an achievement in itself when done. 8/10 Bethany Cox