content: This is yet another lush, shimmering pscyo-erotic opera by Franz Schreker, wonderfully performed by the forces involved -- I suggest you just read the review of 02/12/04 to get a good summary of the surreal plot. At least one other reviewer has termed it not as a good as the composer's masterpiece, Die Gezeichneten, and while I wouldn't disagree with that judgement, this music drama comes pretty close to matching its sibling, particularly in the second half. Other than Mozart, Bizet's Carmen and a small handful of others, I'm not a great opera fan but Schreker's output in this genre to be absolutely stunning. Highly recommended.