NICOLA LISLEo talks to composer Judith Weir about the revival of her fairy-tale opera Blond Eckbert, which comes to the Oxford Playhouse this week

It is now 12 years since English National Opera premiered Judith Weir's extraordinary, strikingly austere opera Blond Eckbert, which received instant critical acclaim, as had her two earlier full-length operas, A Night at the Chinese Opera (Kent Opera, 1987) and The Vanishing Bridegroom (Scottish Opera, 1990).

Yet, apart from a brief television appearance and a recording on the now-defunct Collins label, Blond Eckbert has been shamefully neglected.

So The Opera Group's revival, to be staged at the Oxford Playhouse tomorrow, is long overdue. It might also raise a few eyebrows as the piece was originally conceived for the cavernous space of the London Coliseum. It is now on tour around venues a fraction of the size, with the original symphony orchestra scoring re-worked by the composer herself for a chamber ensemble.

So what, I wondered, has been lost or gained by this scaled-down makeover?

"The gains are very big, particularly in terms of touring the piece," Weir insists. "I love taking operas into smaller places because it helps to bring the audience closer to the story."

Ah yes, the story. Blond Eckbert has been described as a fairy-story, conjuring up cosy images of Snow White-type characters, enchanted forests and happy-ever-after endings. But Blond Eckbert is a disturbing tale, in which supernatural forces intrude into reality, blurring the distinctions between the two and moving inexorably to a shocking outcome.

"It's a very gripping story and a very strange story, with unusual characters," says Weir. "It's very good material for opera, which demands strange, unreal things on the stage."

Weir based the opera on the fairy-tale novella Der blonde Eckbert, written in 1797 by the German Romantic writer Ludwig Tieck and translated by Thomas Carlyle some three decades later. Set in the Harz mountains, it revolves around the mysterious childhood of Eckbert's wife, Berthe, whose past comes back to haunt her and reveals a terrible secret.

Director John Fulljames, who directed Aristophanes' The Birds at the Playhouse last summer, has given the opera an Alfred Hitchcock-style setting, reflecting the fact that this is really more of a psychological thriller than a fairy-tale.

Preceding Blond Eckbert will be two pieces inspired by the Grimm brothers Weir's concert-style piece Really? from 2002, and the world premiere of Small tales, Tall Tales by young composer Kenneth Hesketh.

"What they all share is the idea of telling a story out loud," explains Weir. "It gets the audience listening and following a story, which is quite unusual these days. The two Grimm stories follow a sequence of events, which is good practice for the audience of Blond Eckbert."

Judith's operas and Blond Eckbert, in particular have been praised by the critics for their accessibility. How does she feel about this assessment?

"Well, it is supposed to be a public art form," she says, cautiously. "I try not to needlessly complicate things."

The revival of Blond Eckbert opened at the Linbury Studio in June and features a talented young cast. The title role is sung by baritone Owen Gilhooly, whose credits include appearances at the Royal Opera House, the BBC Proms and English Touring Opera, among others, as well as previous appearances with The Opera Group.

Joining him as his wife, Berthe, is the mezzo-soprano Heather Shipp, who has sung with Royal Opera, English National Opera, Opera North and Opera Holland Park, and will be returning to the Royal Opera later this year to sing Wellgunde in the Ring Cycle.

The cast also features soprano Claire Wild, a regular principal singer with Opera North, who has also sung with Scottish Opera, English National Opera and The Opera Group. Completing the line-up is tenor Mark Wilde, who has appearances with Opera North, English National Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera to his credit, as well as being known locally for his appearances with Garsington Opera. A recent article in Opera magazine ended with the hope that the revival of Blond Eckbert in its reduced format would encourage a new audience, and, more importantly, persuade Weir to turn her hand once more to writing opera, "where she is so undeniably in her element". So is this a possibility?

"I'm very interested in writing more opera," she acknowledges, "but the opportunities are few. And it's a huge effort for a composer you're talking two or three years' work. So it's quite rare to be able to make that sort of commitment. But I particularly love operas and musicals. I'm very at home with the medium."

That almost sounds like a yes . . .

Blond Eckbert and Other Stories is at the Oxford Playhouse for one night only tomorrow. Tickets from £15.50. Box office: 01865 305305. For more information, visit www.theoperagroup.co.uk