Gay Chic Comes To The Opera

The English National Opera will take the unusual step of launching its 2005-06 season with a potentially controversial new opera by Irish composer Gerald Barry. The work, entitled The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, concerns “lesbian love, passion and jealousy set against the backdrop of a fashion studio,” and will feature an all-female cast. The ENO’s new artistic director, Seán Doran, has made it clear that he intends to put his own stamp on the troubled company, and plans to mount at least two new works each season.