Since it was first seen at Glyndebourne 49 years ago, there have been just a handful of opportunities to see Hans Werner Henze's Elegy for Young Lovers in this country. ENO's impressive new production, directed by Fiona Shaw at the Young Vic, certainly makes up for that, even if it generates more questions than answers about the work itself.
WH Auden and Chester Kallman's text presents a portrait of a ruthless poet, Gregor Mittenhofer, a character based apparently on WB Yeats with a bit of Hugo von Hofmannstahl thrown in. The action takes place in an alpine inn, where Mittenhofer is surrounded by his entourage – secretary, physician and young mistress – and fuelling his creativity with the hallucinations of another resident, the deranged Hilde Mack. The arrival of Toni, the doctor's son, upsets everything. Toni and Elizabeth, the mistress, fall in love, before Mittenhofer engineers their deaths in a blizzard and turns the tragedy into his latest poem. The libretto is clunky, rather pleased with its own cleverness and takes most of the first act to exert a dramatic grip. After that, however, it becomes compelling, and the power of Henze's wiry, intense score for an ensemble of 23 players emerges, especially in this performance, superbly conducted by Stefan Blunier.
Shaw's production, designed by Tom Pye, and with a marvellous ice sculpture as its focal point, is direct and unfussy, only occasionally overwrought. Steven Page's performance as the monstrous Mittenhofer, already coming apart at the psychological seams, is a tour de force, and Jennifer Rhys-Davies as Hilde, William Robert Allenby and Lucy Schaufer as the doctor and secretary, and Rob Murray and Kate Valentine as the lovers are equally impressive. Well worth catching – who knows when Elegy will be seen here again?
Until 8 May. Box office: 020-7922 2922.
• This article was amended on 26 April 2010. The original referred to Hugo von Hoffmanstahl. This has been corrected.
