The story of Die tote Stadt, based on Georges Rodenbach's novel, Bruges-la-Morte, centres on Paul who is in emotional distress since the death of his young wife Marie. He is a virtual recluse and is surrounded by images of her. Only his housekeeper Brigitte and friend Frank are constants. But a dancer, Marietta, attracts Paul. She reminds Paul of his wife: Marie re-incarnated. Marietta arrives in the house and becomes aware of her similarity to Marie and leaves. Paul starts to fantasise; his thoughts are nightmarish and lustful. In his dreams he seduces Marietta and in doing so is cast adrift by Frank and Brigitte. He then believes that Marietta is trying to destroy his memory of Marie, so he strangles her with his dead wife's hair. Breaking the nightmare, Marietta returns - Paul is now able to move on.

The staging is excellent, the dividing line between reality and imagination well made; so too the domination (through image and keepsakes) of the dead Marie in relation to Paul's sanity. Paul is a heldentenor role, a demanding and never-off-the-stage part. Stephen Gould is a fine advocate of it; he meets Korngold's demands without coarseness or force and is also a credible actor portraying someone unbalanced and pining for his lost love. As Marie and Marietta, Nadja Michael is a splendid actress, very confident, and although her singing is sensitive one must doubt some of the pitching and a loss of tone in the highest registers. There were some balance problems too; she was unable to always be heard above the orchestra, which is not to suggest that the orchestra was too loud but rather that Michael wasn't always able to penetrate through it.

Conducting is Ingo Metzmacher (he also conducted the afore-mentioned Netherlands performances) who is steeped in opera having been director of Hamburg State Opera from 1997 to 2005 and then of Netherlands Opera until last year. He brings dynamism to Korngold's writing, also a dramatic edge and a romantic yield, but he avoids indulgence. Heart and head are satisfied and the 90-minute indivisible first two acts didn't seem a second too long; furthermore the ROH Orchestra responds to Metzmacher on his Covent Garden debut in a manner that suggests that he will return.

The cast (with Torsten Kerl singing Paul on February 5 & 17) includes Gerald Finley and Kathleen Wilkinson as Paul's friends and is, even in the smallest parts, cast to strength. The production including lighting and costumes is complementary to the scenario. So, there is much to relish, certainly in the music, which includes two familiar arias, one for Marietta and one for Frank - here ideally integrated into the whole, and with some striking imagery to sustain Frank's hallucinations, frustrations and violence. Should you not be familiar with Die tote Stadt or have perhaps underestimated it then I suggest a visit to Covent Garden where a rehabilitation is taking place of an opera that really should not have fallen from view.