Opera
Synopsis
During the Roman siege of Ardea, the drunken prince Tarquinius makes a wager about the virtue of Lucretia, wife of the Roman general Collatinus. Riding to Rome under cover of night, Tarquinius forces himself upon Lucretia. Though innocent, Lucretia is consumed by shame and, after summoning her husband to witness her accusation, takes her own life. Britten's chamber opera frames this ancient Roman tragedy within a Christian commentary on suffering and redemption.