King Priam, Michael Tippett's ambitious treatment of the Trojan War, focuses on the events leading up to the fall of Troy rather than its aftermath. Premiered in 1962, the opera was groundbreaking both in its musical language and in its themes. In what must have been shocking to audiences at the time, Tippett does not shy away from the homosexual relationship between Achilles and Patroclus—in fact, he places it at the center of the narrative, making it a driving force of the drama.

The score is lean, angular, and emotionally charged, reflecting Tippett's modernist sensibilities while also drawing on ritualistic and mythic structures. The result is a work that feels both timeless and unflinchingly contemporary.

This performance features a superb cast of British artists, including Forbes Robinson in the title role, Marie Collier as Hecuba, Richard Lewis as Achilles, and Josephine Veasey as Andromache. Each brings depth and clarity to Tippett's challenging and thought-provoking score.