Music: Radio Opera

One evening in 1937 Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music presented to the public two one-act operas. What the critics came to hear was Le Pauvre Matelot, by one of the most famous of French modernist composers, Darius Milhaud. But what held them in their seats and sent them home happy was the light, tripping music and witty text of a little musical farce called Amelia Goes to the Ball, by an unknown graduate of the Institute, a youngster of 25 named Gian-Carlo Menotti. Next year Amelia made the Metropolitan, was so successful that it...

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