The cast of this German-language Albert Herring surprisingly manages to capture the spirit and comic brilliance of Britten's chamber opera. Sena Jurinac brings Wagnerian weight to the role of Lady Billows, stopping just shy of turning the character into caricature, while Adolf Dallapozza offers a refreshingly lyrical interpretation of the title role—an approach not often heard in Britten.

That said, the performance takes significant liberties with Britten's score. Some of the cuts are startlingly severe—particularly in the Act III threnody—and alterations to the orchestration detract from the tightly crafted brilliance of the original.