The orchestra, raised in their pit so we can actually see and hear them clearly, is thrilling. Kenneth Montgomery directing with exuberance and care. Unlike Diamond, he respects the music.

But the sound of this production is all business. Conductor Kenneth Montgomery led a transformed COC Orchestra, which had been slimmed down to a smart simulation of a period-style band. The fleet overture managed to make even the Hummingbird sound like an intimate venue. Montgomery consistently kept his hand near the rhythmic spring that propels each aria, though his soloists occasionally had other ideas.

Kenneth Montgomery led a stylish, animated reading of a musical treasure-house of an opera.

The conductor is splendid; the production stinks. Kenneth Montgomery led the modern orchestra in a stylish, graceful and well-paced performance that included excellent instrumental solos.

Conductor Kenneth Montgomery led a wonderfully detailed orchestral performance, highlighted by its sensitive continuous playing.

For this production the pit has been raised so that the smaller orchestra will be better heard. Under the expert guidance of conductor Kenneth Montgomery, they play with such lightness and clarity of texture one would think they were a band of original instruments. The music-making in this Julius Caesar is of such a high order that the enterprise would succeed without sets or costumes.