Daphne

STEPHEN LAWLESS (City Opera’s The Flying Dutchman) directs what is certain to be ONE OF THE MAJOR EVENTS OF THE SEASON–the New York stage premiere of Strauss’s magnificent return to Greek mythology, Daphne. Among the most spirited of Strauss’s late operas, this consistently lyrical and masterfully structured work overflows with some of the composer’s most ravishing arias and richly textured ensemble pieces.

Acclaimed for her sterling performances in City Opera’s The Ballad of Baby Doe and San Francisco Opera’s A Streetcar Named Desire, ELIZABETH FUTRAL sings Daphne’s beautifully lyric title role. The San Francisco Chronicle calls Futral “A SINGER WHO HAS IT ALL–a bright, superbly beautiful tone, flawless technical control, dramatic intelligence, and sheer sex appeal.”

MORE ABOUT THE STORY
Daphne, daughter of the Peneios River and the earth goddess, Gaea, is wooed by the shepherd Leukippos, her childhood playmate. The poor shepherd’s rival for Daphne’s affections is none other than the sun god, Apollo. Daphne, however, feels passion only for brooks, trees, and other wonders of the natural world. In rejecting both of her suitors, Daphne provokes a war of the heavenly and temporal worlds and is finally forced to choose between man, god, and nature.

Sung in German with English supertitles
1 hour, 44 minutes, no intermission