A Midsummer Nights Dream by Benjamin Britten

I am very fond of many of the works I've heard by Benjamin Britten and puzzled by some others. I'd say this opera was consistant with what I've come to expect from his work, moments of perfect brilliance and inspiration interspersed with sections of music that seem to serve little purpose except to kill time. Yet, the moments of brilliance make the waiting for them worth it. One of many such moments occurs near the end of Act 1; Tytania's aria is one of those rare moments in opera history, one of the most beautiful and startling arias I've ever heard. Also, the scenes involving Bottom and his friends are an absolute delight.

This is definately a production worth seeing. The singers are top notch, well cast, and the childrens chorus is well integrated into the action (besides sing well). The minimalist staging/setting is very clever and appropriate to the story (it actually propels the plot like it should instead of just hanging out as a backdrop). I wasn't too excited about some of the costumes, but they were acceptable.

You really ought to see this and with netflix you have no excuse. You can also find this and several other productions of Britten's Dream on CD or DVD at ArchivMusic.