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This work was Samuel Barber's first attempt at a mature opera. He had always intended to write one, but he could never settle on a story that suited him, or an author to write it. It is interesting that the inevitable author of his libretto had been sharing a house with him for decades, and had written several successful operas himself, and had written all of the words to them himself as well. Perhaps the two did not want to risk their personal relationship on a musical endeavor.
The composition of the work took nearly six years, because both Barber and Menotti had other projects to finish, and because both composers wanted to be sure that they were offering each other only their best. The story they chose was, in essence, a Gothic tale, and followed a relatively traditional line, which further reinforced Barber's position as a conservative.
The premiere took place during the Metropolitan Opera's 1957-58 season, and was another resounding success for Barber. The work won the Pulitzer Prize, and proved to the world that Samuel Barber was capable of anything. Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. The Met production of Vanessa traveled to Salzburg for a run, but was panned by the critics, even though the audience received it well. Also, the second season of Vanessa at the Met did not sell very many tickets, and it was "decided" that the work had exhausted itself. The work very rarely appears on the roster of today's opera companies, despite its beautiful music, its compelling characters, and its Pulitzer Prize.
There are not an abundance of recordings of this opera. The most tried and true recording is the 1957 recording on RCA Victor. The recording includes the original conductor, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and the original Met cast: Eleanor Steber, Nicolai Gedda, Rosalind Elias, Giorgio Tozzi, and Regina Resnik.
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