Casual travelers in London's busy Victoria Station saw a strange sight for a bright afternoon: scores of elegant ladies & gentlemen, decked out in full evening dress, were scurrying to catch the 3:45 train for Lewes, Sussex, 51 miles away. Their destination that day last week was the 135-acre, exquisitely landscaped Glyndebourne estate, their objective, the opening of the biggest postwar Glyndebourne Opera season, Britain's unique Mozart festival.
By 5:15, the little 600-seat opera house at Glyndebourne (rhymes with fine horn) was almost filled. Conductor Fritz Busch started the overture, and the curtain...