Paris. Bastille Day. 1970

I bow to no man in my admiration for Rufus Wainwright. Frankly, and pompously, I think he's the most important recording artist to emerge over the last ten years or so. Further, I bow to no man in my willful ignorance of Opera. You never know I might grow out of this but the signs are not looking good. 

But, when the great Rufus Wainwright composes an opera, inspired by Maria Callas, it seems churlish to ignore it. The plot, if that's the right term, for the opera is described as follows: 

Paris. Bastille Day. 1970. Régine Saint Laurent, once the world’s most revered operatic soprano, is preparing for her return to the stage after six years of silence. But in doing so, Régine is forced to confront the ghosts of her past. Can she defeat the demons that destroyed her career, and emerge triumphantly once more into the spotlight?

Yes. I'd imagine.