A Month in the Country

Lee Hoiby's opera A Month in the Country was originally commissioned and first performed by the New York City Opera in 1964. This performance was recorded live for the 40th anniversary performance of the opera by the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater. In the New York City of 1964, appearing in the guise of an opera by composer Lee Hoiby and librettist William Ball, Turgenev's A Month in the Country caused concerns for the artistic team. Ball had his first New York success as a director of plays. In 1943, he had directed A Month in the Country and had loved it ever since. In 1959, he had heard Hoiby's first opera, The Scarf, a one acter based on Chekov, at the New York City Opera where Ball was directing Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters and Mozart's Cosi. Ball immediately asked Hoiby to consider collaborating with him on setting the Turgenev. He agreed and the Ford Foundation supported the project and the opera we present here was born.