Britten: Gloriana - Fisher, Wakefield, McIntyre, Garrard, Vyvyan; Bernardi. London, 1966

$8.95

Listen to a Sample:

Gloriana is quickly becoming one of my favorite Britten operas. Britten brilliantly recreates the sound and feel of the Elizabethan court while still maintaining his unique voice and creating dramatic confrontations that are quintessentially of the 20th century. Sylvia Fisher is a power-house in the title role, creating a fascinating psychological profile of a woman who was both blood-thirsty and quite fragile. As Essex, John Wakefield displays a pleasing tenor but he lacks gravitas which is all to apparent in his scenes with Fisher. A young Donald McIntyre stands out as Mountjoy as does Don Garrard as Sir Walter Raleigh. The sound is very good.

OD 10991-2