“Longborough - it is the second Bayreuth”
Rudolph Sabor, Wagner News

If each of the British 'country house' opera companies have their speciality, Longborough's has to be its commitment to Wagner. LFO is the first privately owned opera house to be mounting a production of Wagner's Ring Cycle.   After LFO’s acclaimed production of the reduced version prepared by Graham Vick and Jonathan Dove for the City of Birmingham Touring Opera company, Longborough is now producing a fully orchestrated version making use of Longborough’s excellent pit, modelled on that at Bayreuth,  which accommodates 65 players

The 2007 season featured the first instalment of our new full-length Ring Cycle. Das Rheingold was sung in German and had an orchestra of 60 players conducted by Anthony Negus. Alan Privett directed and the set was designed by Kjell Torriset. Das Rheingold returned in 2008 for a further three performances.

In 2010 Longborough will stage the next episode, with a new production of Die Walküre, with the artistic team responsible for Das Rheingold.

This opera season's most sensational coup has to be Martin Graham's Longborough Festival Opera luring Sir Donald McIntyre to take up Wotan's staff once more. McIntyre's Wotan is massive, and simply the best.” – Roderic Dunnett - The Independent –2004

Sir Donald McIntyre's magnificent bass-baritone voice came ringing out and his authority, experience and sense of drama held us. A deeply moving event, one I shall never forget”
David Fingleton – Sunday Express –2004.

"...make no mistake about it, this is some achievement" -
Michael Kennedy, Sunday Telegraph

"..One feels that even Wagner would secretly have approved" - Derek Jole, Oxford Times