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Thank you.

-Hello.

I am classical singer Julia Bullock, and I am so pleased to be your host for today's performance of Giacomo Puccini's "La Rondine."

Puccini is best known for heartrending operas with tragic heroines, but with "La Rondine" he was commissioned to compose an operetta.

Neither a comedy nor a tragedy, "La Rondine" is a bittersweet love story with some of the most delightful music Puccini ever wrote.

Today, leading Met soprano Angel Blue stars as Magda, an impulsive, artistically minded Parisian woman who is also a courtesan.

She tempts fate by pursuing her dream of true love.

Tenor Jonathan Tetelman is making his Met debut as Ruggero, the young country gentleman who falls head over heels for the very beautiful Magda.

This Art Deco-inspired production captures the glamour and allure of France in the 1920s as the story moves from a Parisian drawing room to a bustling bistro to the French Riviera.

Conductor Speranza Scappucci is ready to go to the pit.

Here is "La Rondine."

[ Applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Up-tempo introduction plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] [ Laughter ] [ Applause ] -[ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] [ All laugh ] [ Tempo slows ] [ Men laugh ] [ All laugh ] [ Strikes key ] [ Playing upbeat tune ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ All laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Women laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughter ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Fanfare plays, tempo quickens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Up-tempo introduction plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Men laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Men laugh ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Up-tempo introduction plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Crying ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] -At the end of the previous act, Magda ran off with Ruggero to start a new life.

When Act Three begins, they have been living in apparent bliss on a villa on the French Riviera.

Ruggero hopes to marry, but Magda fears that she can't escape her past.

Here is the wrenching conclusion of "La Rondine."

[ Applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Mid-tempo introduction plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Whistling ] ♪♪ [ Whistling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Laughter ] [ Laughter ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -[ Sighs ] ♪♪ [ Tempo quickens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you!

-You were marvelous.

-Thank you so much.

Yes.

Thank you.

That's great to hear.

Thanks for letting me do that.

[ Laughs ] Thank you.

What an honor, really.