In his insert-notes, Christopher Palmer has pertinent things to say about the sexual climate of Britten's last opera, Death in Venice; but these seem to become of less consequence as you listen to the music. Its potency and inventiveness create this opera's disturbing and intense atmosphere, each episode heightened dramatically by instrumental colouring. Under Bedford's direction each scene is fully integrated into a fluent and convincing whole. This recording was made while Britten was very ill; it omits Aschenbach's first recitative ('I have always kept a close watch over my development as a writer …'), given as an optional cut in the vocal score, which was published after the recording was made, by which time Britten had changed his mind about this cut and wished it had been included in the recording.
Pears's Aschenbach, a very English conception, is a masterly performance, matched by John Shirley-Quirk's assumption of the six characters who are Aschenbach's messengers of death and the Voice of Dionysus.

Peter Pears's searching performance in the central role of Aschenbach is set against the darkly sardonic singing of John Shirley-Quirk...the whole presentation makes this a set to establish the work outside the opera house