An air of discovery pervaded the first New York presentation of La ville morte much the way that it pervades the opera’s plot itself.
It’s Easter season, and that can mean only one thing for opera: It’s Cavalleria Rusticana time. And I, for one, couldn’t be more excited.
In August 1845 Alexandre Dumas fils ended his brief but passionate affair with Parisian courtesan Marie Duplessis. He sent her a bitter letter that is often quoted in program notes about La Traviata.
“I didn’t think anything could be campier than Adriana. But this is nothing but camp. Adriana at least has tunes.”
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