A comic opera in 3 acts; libretto by Eric Crozier, freely adapted from a short story by Guy de Maupassant. Compact discs. Edition recorded: Boosey & Hawkes Music. Recorded in association with The Britten Estate Limited. Recorded Aug. 11-15, 1996, All Saint's Church, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Josephine Barstow, Susan Gritton, sopranos ; Felicity Palmer, Ann Taylor, Della Jones, mezzo-sopranos ; Stuart Kale, Christopher Gillett, tenors ; Peter Savidge, Robert Lloyd, Gerald Finley, baritones ; Northern Sinfonia ; Steuart Bedford, conductor and piano. Sung in English with biographical, synopses and program notes, principally by Philip Reed in English, French and German, and libretto (79 p. ; 13 cm.) inserted in container.