Based on the French play Juliette, ou La clé des songes (Juliette, or The Key of Dreams) by Georges Neveux, Martinů’s operatic masterpiece Julietta, one of the greatest 20th-century works for the stage, explores the intersection of dreams and reality. Set in a seaside town, this psychological drama follows Michel, a traveling salesman, who finds himself in search of a mysterious girl whose voice he has been hearing for more than three years. In love with Julietta and realizing he is caught in a dream world, he must decide—should he stay in the dream or wake up?

Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in a lively 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Free for all ticket holders.

Pictured: Sara Jakubiak and Aaron Blake