Following LFO’s triumphant celebration of Richard Wagner’s bicentenary in 2013 with acclaimed fully staged performances of the whole Ring cycle – a marvellous feat for so small an enterprise – the company has maintained its position as a leading interpreter of the composer’s oeuvre with this season’s wonderful production of Tristan und Isolde.

“Better than Bayreuth” was the headline adorning the review by the distinguished critic of the Spectator, and while I wouldn’t go that far, there can be no doubting that this was indeed exceptionally fine work. The distinguished Wagnerian Anthony Negus was again in the pit, as he had been throughout the Ring, demonstrating his mastery of the score, his intimate awareness of the many moods of this mighty work, from the first bars of the famous Prelude to the closing raptures of the Liebestod.

The last was delivered to thrilling effect by Rachel Nicholls (LFO’s Brünnhilde), still in magnificent voice at the end of her vocal marathon as Isolde. Her well-judged performance, beautifully acted, was reminiscent of that supplied by Anne Evans, whom I was fortunate to have seen in the role more than once – the soprano having been Rachel’s vocal coach.

Fully her match in power was tenor Peter Wedd. By turns intimate and intense, his portrayal of Tristan was as thrilling as it was technically accomplished, with the great central love duet a high point of the drama. Catherine Carby’s Brangäne, the supplier of the fatal love potion, Stewart Pendred as Tristan’s loyal servant Kurwenal and Frode Olsen as the cuckolded King Marke all made valuable contributions to a production whose only downside, for which we must blame director Carmen Jakobi, was the pair of dancers distractingly interpreting the emotions of the protagonists.