In Glyndebourne’s first-ever staging of an opera by Rameau, director Jonathan Kent presents a production which, in his own words, "strives to appeal to every sense and show audiences how engrossing and musically ravishing French Baroque opera can be".

Rameau’s inventive take on Racine’s great tragedy Phèdre is brought to life by Paul Brown’s colourful and elegant designs and Ashley Page’s playful choreography. Ed Lyon and Christiane Karg give captivating performances as the titular young lovers, while Sarah Connolly, making a welcome return to Glyndebourne, ‘invests Phaedra with both grandeur and a desperately human vulnerability’ (The Independent).

Leading exponent of early music William Christie ‘sets an exhilarating pace, galvanising the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to playing of tremendous panache’ (The Daily Telegraph).

Cast:
- Hippolytus: Ed Lyon
- Aricia: Christiane Karg
- Phaedre: Sarah Connolly
- Theseus: Stéphane Degout

Director: Jonathan Kent

Recorded live at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes, June 2013

"Rameau’s music is one reason to hasten to East Sussex. Another is Jonathan Kent’s inventive staging." - The Times

"William Christie ... as usual sets an exhilarating pace, galvanising the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to playing of tremendous panache." - The Daily Telegraph

"Sarah Connolly combines a luscious voice and volcanic stage presence as Phaedra, and her climactic outpouring of despair in Act 4 is scalp prickling." - www.Bloomberg.com

Running time: 187 minutes
Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/KO
Sound format: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS