La Belle Helene: Offenbach: Nikolaus Harnoncour

Offenbach's light-hearted opera is based on the story of Helen of Troy.Helmut Lohner's lavish interpretation is delightfully entertaining, highlighting the declining social mores of the Parisian upper classes under the second empire.Conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt conjures up an unusual combination of sounds and a new listening experience, with an orchestra configured to replicate that which would have been available to Offenbach.