Mitch Friedfeld wrote:

>It was wonderful.  I should have known I was going to like it, as the
>action is set in Leadville, Colorado, and Washington (I grew up in Denver
>and have been to Leadville many times, and I now live near D.C.).

So you've seen the Opry House and the Matchless Mine.

>There are several excellent arias, the most famous of which are Baby Doe
>Tabor's "Willow" song and the "Silver" aria.  I got even more of a kick out
>of Augusta's "Old Hands" aria and Baby Doe's show closer, "Forever Young."

This opera made Beverly Sills.  It didn't hurt Frances Bible, either, who
recently died.

>The program notes said that Baby Doe was one of the three most significant
>American operas, with Porgy and Bess and I can't remember the third.  My
>program notes seem to have disappeared; you'd think I'd know the third but
>I've forgotten.

Boy that's interesting.  Assuming one accepts these two, some candidates
(with the accent on "significant", not best):

Thomson--Four Saints in Three Acts
Ward--Crucible
Copland--Tender Land (not likely)
Barber--Vanessa (not likely)
Blitzstein--Regina

I doubt it's a Menotti opera.

Most likely might be the Thomson.  Then again, depending on whether one
considers Rake's Progress American (I do), that might be it.

Maybe one of these will trigger your memory.  Doesn't mean the writer is
correct, of course.

>Anyway, listmembers who are interested in tonal but different opera with
>a lot of catchy tunes will like Baby Doe, I'm sure.

There are two recordings.  One of the original production with Sills,
Bible, and the perfect Horace of Walter Cassel.  I find this far surperior
to the recent Central City Opera (or whatever it was) recording.  Oddly,
while Baby Doe's is the most difficult role, the one that I've never been
satisfied with is any Horace but Cassel's.

Roger Hecht