TS Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral (1935) shares a similar fate with Pizzetti’s operatic treatment (1957) in that both – after initial acclaim – have vanished from the stage. Decca’s DVD is to be welcomed in this 40th anniversary year of Pizzetti’s death, a timely reminder of his creative genius whose late-Romantic idiom was tempered by a leanness of harmony and texture placing it squarely in the 20th century. Pizzetti disliked verismo, so Eliot’s symbolic verse-play, with roots in Greek tragedy and medieval theatre, held great appeal for him; but he lacked Puccini’s melodic gift so that, impressive as it is, Assassinio nella cattedrale lacks a truly memorable individual component such as distinguished so many of Puccini’s operas.

Yet much of Assassinio’s music is finely wrought and deeply moving, not least the opening Prelude, full of lowering nobility and foreboding. Several of Becket’s arias – beautifully sung by Ruggero Raimondi – catch perfectly the Archbishop’s mix of pride and religiosity. The remaining cast support well: the Four Tempters are silkily unsettling, the trio of Priests and Chorus of the Women of Canterbury ardent in their support and concern. Act 1 is superbly done, achieving almost symphonic force, but Act 2 does not quite deliver on its promise and does not really advance the plot dramatically or musically: Becket knows his death is close at the end of Act 1 so while the Four Tempters metamorphose into the Four murderous Knights (whose closing paean of self-justification Pizzetti excised) the murder when it comes lacks punch and Pizzetti’s music – at least in this production – does not heighten the tension.

Visually, the production is simple but effective. Bari’s San Nicola Basilica dates from Becket’s time and Daniele D’Onofrio’s spare staging makes it feel like a church opera or mystery play, with no backdrops or scenery and precious few props. Video director Tiziano Mancini obviously felt the approach too minimalist and interweaves other images and dumb-show scenes – particularly during the temptations, showing Becket in his chambers, or images of Henry II – presumably to add a new dimension, but ultimately these prove a distraction. The drama is acted out in the cast’s faces onstage and needs no further help. The sound is well balanced, the basilican acoustic suiting the music, and the performances all round are excellent. Piergiorgio Morandi’s pacing and control is solid but Act 2 could have benefited from a touch more urgency.