Blond Eckbert, Judith Weir's first opera, is based on Ludwig Tieck's folk-like tale of a quiet elderly couple whose secluded life eerily unravels as their fantastical past catches up with them. The music's apparent simplicity, with echoes of Weber's Freischütz - belies its underlying darkness.

"Judith Weir's treatment of Ludwig Tieck's story Blond Eckbert creates a compelling world… with its own ingenious methods of narration, and a strong sense of movement towards an inescapable and tragic dénouement. Nicholas Folwell and Anne-Marie Owens are sympathetic as the couple at the centre of the story... Sian Edwards draws tidy playing from the ENO Orchestra." – BBC Music Magazine

Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera
Sian Edwards conductor
Nicholas Folwell baritone
Anne-Marie Owens mezzo soprano
Christopher Ventris baritone
Nerys Jones soprano

NMCD106 • Released 2005