The first musical-theatrical adaptation of the novel by Tom Wolfe took place on October 9 and 10.

The 1987 novel by Wolfe is a story about ambition, racism, social class, and greed in 1980s New York City. The American author alluded to the historical event in Florence in 1497, during the rule of Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola. His supporters organized a bonfire of vanity in this Italian city and burned a great number of art works and books which were deemed morally questionable.

Fresco of New York
The composer, Stefania de Kenessey, was trained at Yale and Princeton and mentored by the composer of serialism and electronic music Milton Babbitt. She transferred the novel to an opera stage, as she saw it as a kaleidoscope of New York with all its splendour, and with all its excesses. Yet her musical style, rooted in a generic pop idiom, is poles apart from Babbitt's tone rows, The Financial Times wrote after the premier.

Praise by critics
The critic was at first sceptical towards its lightweight musical tone and the opera form consisting of musical numbers. Yet the setting to music of Michael Bergmann's libretto in his opinion proved efficient. The story turns exciting and, just as the opera itself, emphasizes the relevance of Wolfe's social satire, and even updates it.

Citizen of the world
The conductor and pianist Daniela Candillari was born in Novi Sad. She studied in Austria and in the USA. From 2009 to 2012 she cooperated with the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor. Now she is an independent artist in New York. She is the first musician from Slovenia to receive Fulbright scholarship.

A. J.
Translated by G. K.