The element of surprise or suspense in opera is often not a major one. The fate motif quickly dispels any hopes that Don Jose and Carmen will somehow work things out. And even on the way to the theatre, most people have a pretty clear idea that Romeo and Juliet are not going to live happily ever after. And then there is the rather large category of opera where, if you don’t know the story on the way to the theatre, you’re not going to know it on the way home either.

We trust that this is not the case with this opera. But since there are a number of surprises and the outcome is by no means predictable, I am merely going to introduce the cast, maybe ask a few searching questions, and leave you on your own.

First, a word about the setting. No question, this is the place you’ve always dreamed of. A spacious, old-fashioned country house, surrounded by a lush, fertile landscape, fields of ripened grain on one side, orchards loaded down with fruit on the other, a thick forest in the distance, all blended together by a meandering stream. In short, an earthly paradise, such as you find only in the most prestigious opera houses.

The day begins with a chorus of happy farmers and villagers celebrating the harvest season and the pleasure and privilege of not having money. We soon meet the two widows: Karolina, owner and boss of the estate, and Anežka, her cousin, on an extended visit. Although both are clothed in suitably solemn colors, one is struck by an immediate contrast. Karolina is merry and lighthearted, and one gathers that her fairly recent transition to widowhood was not an entirely heart-wrenching experience. But a word of warning: when a lady goes so far as to announce in Act One, Scene One, that she is absolutely satisfied with things just as they are, you can safely start to wonder how long things will remain just as they are.

Anežka, her cousin, wears her widowhood more heavily, but as the opera progresses, one can’t help wondering if she is not perhaps overdoing it. Is she entirely sincere? May not her display of grief camouflage a secret guilt? Suspicious minds will have much to chew upon.

Those of you who are paying attention may have noticed that while the cast includes two attractive widows, it includes only one unattached young man. More work for suspicious minds. Will we be able to provide enough happy endings to go around? Will the relationship between the two women, so cordial and affectionate — again, we refer to Act I, Scene 1– be able to with-stand the onslaught of Act II?

And what do we know about this unattached young man? Nothing, except that he is prowling around the estate and shooting at random. Is he psychotic, a killer on the loose? Suffering a nervous breakdown? Or has he a clear purpose in mind? When he is finally arrested and brought into the house, why does his face light up? Why does Anežka blanche? Why does Karolina get strange ideas? Grumpler, the old caretaker, suspects the worst. But then, when does he not?