Andrew Davis conducts a concert performance of Richard Strauss's last opera: a light-hearted glance at the relative importance of music, poetry, dance and theatre, set as an opera within an opera.
Renée Fleming stars as Madeleine, the Countess torn between two suitors: Olivier, a poet (Christian Gerhaher) and Flamand, a composer (Andrew Staples). The rest of the cast includes Peter Rose (La Roche), Bo Skovhus (The Count), Christine Rice (Clairon), Mary Plazas and Barry Banks (Italian Singers).
(Note: tenor Joseph Kaiser has had to withdraw from the role of the Composer.)