It looks very well on you…

OK, so it’s a bit predictable to single this track out of Bennett’s three-act, 40-scene opera, coming as it does at the climax of the first act. But the impassioned duet between the two female leads functions very much as the jewel in the opera’s crown, showcasing both the power of the singers and the composer’s ability to artfully convey atmosphere and character in his orchestration. The opera was a success when it premiered in London in 1965, yet it disappeared from public view until it was given a new production by Glimmerglass in 2004. The folk tune that the gypsy Rosalind asks the traveling troupe actress Jenny to teach her is encased in a scene that proves (if you need proof) that atonal and beautiful are not mutually exclusive concepts. Do make sure to read through this track’s libretto so as not to miss the melancholy details that are revealed.

—MS