Maryland Opera Studio: The Rape of Lucretia
The ancient Roman tale of the violation of the virtuous Lucretia by the vicious Tarquinius receives a haunting treatment as two modern observers, one male and one female, attempt to interpret the events even as they unfold. The pair seeks to find spiritual meaning and redemption in a hellish act of violence.
Britten composed The Rape of Lucretia in 1946, in a world still reeling from the horrors of World War II. The opera continues to resonate today as we face a rising surge of violence throughout the world.