AN OPERA written 300 years ago is to get its first performance in Britain at Garsington Opera in June.

Vivaldi's L'incoronazione di Dario has been prepared by the Vivaldi Institute in Italy specially for the Garsington production.

The opera tells of the political rivalry following the death of the king of the Persians in 5BC.

The other two operas to be staged in the open air are Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte and Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.

The opera festival takes place in the grounds of Garsington Manor.