Patrick Mason's production is a delight, colourful, bright and played out in the period intended – the 1840s – against minimal but functional Art Nouveau-like sets by Joe Vanek.

Mason's ultimate directing triumph is capturing Lortzing's sophisticated comedy and not going over the top and sinking into possible English musical comedy, even farce given the nature of the plot.

His own skilful English version, largely faithful to Lortzing's original German, helps and will aid the many who probably don't know the work, if only for the who's who complexities.

Unknowing siblings take a fancy to the other after a recently-widowed baroness arrives disguised as a male student to check out a baron whom her brother, a count, wants her to marry.

He hasn't seen her since childhood, so doesn't recognise her when she counter-disguises herself as a village girl. The baron, a recent widower, is the brother of the count's wife.

She hasn't seen him since childhood, so doesn't recognise him incognito as the count's equerry.

Acting and comic timing are excellent and following what's happening is usually clear, although Imelda Drumm's diction doesn't always have clarity as the Countess – a delightful performance, nevertheless.

Benjamin Hullett brings a honey-toned tenor voice (we will surely hear more of it) to bear on the role of the Baron, and Ashley Holland (not Stephen Loges as advertised) is a virile-voiced Count.

In prime voice, Judith Howarth is a not overly capricious Baroness-cum-student-cum-Gretchen and embryo dramatic soprano Laura Parfitt delivers a not overly coquettish performance as the actual Gretchen.

James Rutherford, similarly, does not overdo the inherent comic elements in the role of the poaching schoolmaster Baculus and sings superbly, not least in the big aria which ends act two.
Hannah Pedley, the Baroness's maid (disguised!), and Jonathan Best, the majordomo, are strong support casting and the 16-member chorus is in magnificent voice.

Lortzing's unpretentious, tuneful score, with its Mozart/ Weber echoes and Strauss/ Offenbach/ Sullivan pre-echoes, could hardly have a British conductor with more loving belief in it than Andrew Greenwood.
The first night audience clearly loved it but will find the triple bill of one-act operas by Holst – Savitri and The Wandering Scholar – and Vaughan Williams – Riders to the Sea – an entirely different kettle of fish.
The latter and Savitri are minor dramatic masterpieces, musically at least. Seeing them staged for the first time (such is their theatrical rarity) prompted thoughts that it is not necessarily an advantage.
Perhaps director Michael Barry and designer Nigel Hook should have resisted 'ladderitis,' the wearisome ladder/ ladders as a stock prop usually serving no purpose. A particularly bad attack here sees seven or eight shuffled around in the three works.

All three productions are otherwise different: Savitri is almost wholly dark with black drapes; Wandering Scholar has a recognisable farmhouse; Riders to the Sea is set in the fisherman's cottage it should be.
Nothing much happens visually in Savitri, so a dancer (Kali Dass) sign-languaging words being sung by Death can be called a welcome distraction. Mark Richardson's singing of the part is vocally uneven, although he is much better as the randy Priest in Wandering Scholar.
Elizabeth Atherton is first-rate in every respect as Savitri, as is her Cathleen in Riders to the Sea, while Hal Cazalet is excellent as Savitri's husband and in title role of the other, folksy Holst opera.
In truth, not of the same stature, the wife and husband in it, bright-voiced soprano Gail Pearson and American baritone Kevin Greenlaw, do nothing wrong and are equally fine in much different roles in the Vaughan Williams.

In this, Clare Shearer as the fatalistic mother had a vocal problem at the dress rehearsal and mimed to a singing voice in the wings – Alison Barton, her cover from the festival chorus? If it was, she is certainly not wanting vocally.

Conductor Oliver Gooch seems happier in the two Holst works, needing to find more tension, menace and sweep in the Vaughan Williams.