The Tale of Januarie

About the show

Ageing Januarie marries young May despite warnings from his friend Justinus. May and Januarie’s servant Damyan become lovers; after a series of deceptions involving blindness and a pear tree, Januarie dies believing May’s child is his heir. The opera retells Chaucer’s tale in a seasonal cycle, with Pluto and Proserpina shaping the lovers’ fate.