The main cast delivers a superlative response from start to finish, headed by baritone Christopher Maltman's bull-like Tarquinius and mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly's harrowingly intense Lucretia...Top-flight instrumental playing enhances an impressive release.

McVicar typically finds clarity and purpose amid the opera's convoluted story-telling...Connolly's performance sets a standard that's perhaps as important to The Rape of Lucretia as Jon Vickers was to Peter Grimes. Daniel makes every note count in this ultra-spare score.

Ainsley is superb...Melrose as Junius brilliantly brings out the weakness of character...Bayley's Collatinus is nobe of bearing and deeply touching both vocally and physically...Connolly is quite simply magnificent as Lucretia, taking the audience with her throughout...superbly well sung, played and acted.

[Maltman] gets right into the physicality of the role, projecting himself forward with all the character’s lascivious selfishness...Connolly makes a wonderful Lucretia, too. She is dignified and noble throughout...In many ways the greatest revelations come from the Male and Female chorus, both excellently sung. Add in the expert playing of the ENO chamber ensemble and Paul Daniel’s intelligent conducting, and you have a winner on your hands.

Rather than lavish praise on the whole cast, I would only single out Christopher Maltman’s insecure Tarquinius, rather more than just a thug, and Leigh Melrose (Junius), who uses body language to turn what can seem like a subsidiary role into a major player, the cynical opportunist using human pain for political advantage. Paul Daniel leads a perfectly paced reading with members of the ENO orchestra.