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Denyce Graves

A Mother's Desperate Act: 'Margaret Garner'

Margaret Garner (Denyce Graves) and her husband Robert (Eric Greene) support each other through their hardships. Jim Schmid/Opera Carolina hide caption

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Jim Schmid/Opera Carolina

NPR World of Opera

A Mother's Desperate Act: 'Margaret Garner'

Toni Morrison wrote the libretto for this opera, based on a real-life story about an enslaved woman who killed her daughter rather than let her be returned to slavery.

Hear Act One Of Margaret Garner

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Music

Unlikely Alliance: Bluebeard and Gianni Schicchi

Renowned bass Samuel Ramey stars as a serial murderer in Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, and as the devious title character in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, a comedy with a corpse at the center of the action. It's a deadly double bill from the Washington National Opera.

An Audio Introduction to the Operas

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Music

'Bluebeard's Castle' and 'Gianni Schicchi'

Renowned bass Samuel Ramey stars as a serial murderer in Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, and as the devious title character in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, a comedy with a corpse at the center of the action. It's a deadly double bill from the Washington National Opera.

Soprano Amanda Squitieri sings "O mio babbino caro" in Washington

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