Tigers

What a delight and treat to have this rare opera! Brian is a composer I discovered through, of course, the Gothic symphony and I was very curious to hear what he had to say in opera. This is a BBC recording made a few decades ago but the sound is lovely. The opera itself is a comic satire on war and warmongers - the ultimate result feels as if Monty Python had written and opera. Pure delight and all the singers, mostly unknown to me, are perfect. Great stuff that should be heard more often!

A great archival performance of this opera wit a full booklet etc. Can't really be faulted as this is the only option if you want to hear this astonishing opera, and the performances are generally of very high quality as to warrant no complaints.

This is far more accessible than much of Brian. The libretto is rather goofy and awkward (like some of Brian's music) but ends up being entertaining and quite memorable, certainly no sillier than many of libretti set by the great bel canto composers. The score is at least interesting, often superb. Performance and recording are far better than expected. I'm sure this was put together on a shoestring but it hardly shows. We're unlikely to get another recording of this work any time soon but no matter, unlike early attempts at some of Brian's symphonies, this is far more than a stopgap. Recommended not only to Brian fans but also the unconverted.