Dome Concert Hall, Church Street, Brighton, Wednesday May 12

In its first ever visit to Brighton, English National Opera (ENO), widely regarded as England's premiere opera company singing in the original language, will perform concert excerpts from three of the most popular operas in the repertoire: Verdi's La Traviata and Rigoletto and Puccini's La Boheme.

Accompanied by the ENO Orchestra and conducted by Mark Shanahan, the concert will involve both company principals and guest artists and include Glyndebourne regulars Alan Opie, David Kempster and Linda Richardson, along with leading ENO soloists Paul Reeves, Claire Weston, Gwyn Hughes and Leigh Melrose.

The extract from La Traviata is towards the end of Act One, where Violetta's party guests have left her swanky apartment and she can ponder Alfredo's declared love for her. Violetta, to be sung by soprano Linda Richardson, is a famous courtesan currently being kept by a Marquis. But at her party Violetta is introduced to the young Alfredo who tells her he has loved her for a year and is pretty potty about her.

Rigoletto is Verdi's tale of a hunchback jester who accuses his boss of seducing his daughter and hires a hitman to kill him.

Unfortunately the hitman bodges the job. What we shall be hearing are the Gilda duets. First, the long one with Rigoletto, the father, which begins as sentimental reminiscence and emerges into one of the great lyrical moments of the whole opera.

The second duet, also for Rigoletto and the maid Gilda, is full of incident and contains a long prayer to God. Once again, soprano Linda Richardson takes the female lead, while baritone Alan Opie sings Rigoletto.

The second half of the concert is devoted to an abridged Act One and the whole of Act Four of Puccini's La Boheme, perhaps the greatest of all operatic weepies. This tale of love and death among the Bohemian artists of Paris' Left Bank is a true crowd-pleaser, Puccini at his heightened best.

Specially created for the Festival, this operatic treat promises to be a thoroughly emotional affair.

Dome Concert Hall, 8pm, £10-£30, 01273 709709