The “diluvio” of the title, being “universale”, is of course Noah’s Flood, but we can banish all thoughts of the Miracle plays and Britten. Instead of the henpecked old man, here is Noah the patriarch, immense in sanctified authority. The enemy (and this is serious stuff) is Noah’s son-in-law, Cadmo, chief of the idolatrous Satraps of Senáár. Noah, like Cassandra, has for some time been warning them all of troubles to come, and they are, frankly, sick and tired of it. Moreover, he has built this enormous “ark” in full view of their city. Sela, the woman-in-between, does her best to reconcile husband and father, but now another extra-biblical factor comes into play in the person of The Other Woman. She is Sela’s confidante, who secretly longs to take her place, and nearly does. It is in such situations that opera takes over from what might have been oratorio: Ada, the mezzo-soprano rival, is in fact a kind of Amneris in Aida’s relative status.

The opera was submerged in 1834, resurfaced at Genoa in 1985, and was performed in concert at Drury Lane by the present company in 2005. Verdict, I should say: a revival welcome every 20 years or so, but that would be about right.

The character of Sala has tragic potential, and the Bible story itself is compelling. In fact the challenges and opportunities are so great that if the score had measured up to them we would have known about if before now. But it lacks distinction: depth of feeling and memorability.

The best singing comes from Manuela Custer as the treacherous Ada. Majella Cullagh, as the distraught heroine, is both expressive and technically accomplished, but the voice, I’m afraid, is beginning to sound a little worn. Colin Lee’s incisive tenor is gratefully heard and Mirco Palazzi has the authority needed for the all-important role of Noah. Orchestra and chorus are fine, and all are under very sound direction with Giuliano Carella conducting. Jeremy Commons contributes, as ever, an eminently well informed essay, and the recording is dedicated to the memory of its producer, Patrick Schmid.