Barber's music attracted the ire of critics who, because of a booklet inspired by Karen Blixen and whose author was the companion of Barber, Menotti, reproached him for not being sufficiently American. Yet what strikes a European ear, is that this work seems to oscillate constantly between musical with orchestral or vocal passages which the American music hall side does not doubt and most post-Romantic tradition drawing its sources in Italian opera and Strauss. Everything is unclassifiable, but surprising, in fact, very pleasant to listen to. Here is a work that opera houses, starting with Paris whose programming is sorely lacking in originality past few seasons, would do well to go back ....