Ruth Leon recommends…Death in Venice – Benjamin Britten – ENO

Death in Venice – Benjamin Britten – ENO
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In Britten’s luminous and compelling interpretation of Thomas Mann’s classic novella, the ageing writer Gustav von Aschenbach’s infatuation with the Polish boy Tadzio and his subsequent decline are portrayed in a harrowingly believable performance by John Graham-Hall, who had already won golden opinions for singing the role of Aschenbach at La Scala.

Deborah Warner’s beautiful and evocative production of Britten’s final operatic masterpiece was described at its premiere in 2013 by The Independent as an “exquisitely achieved marriage of music, drama and design”. The conductor of the ENO chorus and orchestra is Edward Gardner, a long-standing champion of Britten’s music.

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