The Theater an der Wien certainly pulled out all the stops for this Gluck rarity - a gamble that, at least in the artistic sense, has come up trumps.

The production (direction: Torsten Fischer, sets and costumes: Vasilis Triantafillopoulos and Herbert Schäfer, lighting: Diego Leetz) simply oozes quality and is quite ingenious in its concept. On stage level, an enormous disc (generally raked and at times rotating) forms the essential surface area for the action, while occasionally revealing an underworld of complex steel girders for the protagonists, as required. The entire scene is reflected from above using a parallel mirrored disc, which adds a compelling bird's eye perspective. A proscenium wall of semi-translucent gauze augments the main set and provides an oversized partition and entree to Circe's island of Enaria. The costumes - in their contrasting black and white - remain essentially timeless while serving the subject matter unobtrusively.

The aural side of the proceedings on this evening was no less effective, with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and René Jacobs guaranteeing the finest possible musicianship, and drawing every imaginable ounce of emotion from a score, which despite the pedigree of its creator remains one of his less accessible.

An unexpected event threatened the evening with the scheduled Telemaco, Bejun Mehta forced to cancel due to indisposition. However, the combined efforts of Production Assistant, Philipp Krenn, and counter tenor David DQ Lee (who performed the role just a year ago at the Schwetzinger Festival) saved the evening. Krenn acted out the role most effectively (wisely not miming the words) while Lee sang from the pit. There wasn't an incongruous moment, with both protagonists comfortably mastering their respective tasks. Lee is in possession of an unusually warm and vibrant timbre, coupled with an adequate tonal and dynamic range. However, (despite his comfortable position in the pit facing centre stalls) clarity of diction was an issue, with a consequent loss of dramatic impact.

The remaining cast was ideally balanced and equally effective. I particularly liked Anett Fritsch's even-scaled and richly coloured Merione, as well as Valentina Farcas' Asteria - a beautifully-shaped reading coupled with an appealing stage presence. Rainer Trost, stylish and committed as ever, scaled Ulisses testing lines with aplomb. As Circe, Alexandrina Pendatschanska fearlessly tackled the role's vocal challenges, producing en effective palette of vocal colour and theatrical histrionics which won her well-deserved acclaim from the capacity house.

A memorable operatic event, and an undoubted highlight of the season.