Retrospect Opera

Great British Operas On Record

Our Patrons: John Farmer and Professor Nicholas Temperley
Welcome!
Retrospect Opera is a small and energetic organisation devoted to researching and recording 18th-, 19th- and early 20th-century operas and related dramatic musical works by British composers. Britain has a rich and vibrant history of dramatic musical works, but all too few of are remembered today.

We ask you to help us restore this important heritage to life - you can find links to details of our present projects on the left.

We research our selections very carefully and our releases include full libretti, and highly informative essays that put the music in context.

We issue the recordings on our own label. We've released seven CDs and you can find out about them either from the left-hand panel or by going to our Shop.

Please click here to go to the Sales page;  click on 'What's New' in the left hand panel for more information; and click here to see our Privacy statement. We also now have a Youtube channel.
“Go for it!”
Kurt Gänzl is the leading authority on the history of light musical theatre, the author of the near-legendary The British Musical Theatre and The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. Here’s what he has to say:

 Go, go, go team! I get really aerated when I go on YouTube to listen to such huge British 19th-century operatic hits as ‘Bid me discourse’ and ‘Tell me, my heart’ and they’re not there. Minor and flopped ancient Italiana by the tumbrel-load … but where is the Bishop, the Wallace, the Barnett, the Loder, the Benedict, the Goring Thomas, the Mackenzie, the Stanford, the Smyth? … It’s been a kind of snobbism, I reckon. I am really glad to see that attitude finally fading. Go for it. You are needed.