The Rape of Lucretia

About

This two-act opera written by British composer Benjamin Britten takes place in Rome during an impending Greek invasion. The opera investigates the historic tale of depravity and paganism during the shift of power in the Roman republic circa 500 BC, employing a Christian voice through the male and female choruses that narrate the tale. Lucrecia's legendary rape and consequent suicide have been explored by artists in a number of capacities in the centuries since this historic event. Britten's chamber opera employed the smaller-scale orchestration to intimate and sobering effect in his investigation of the devastating moment in Roman history.