The Diving Bell and The Butterfly • The Dallas Opera
“One of opera’s superpowers is its ability to speak inner thoughts aloud, and Diving Bell fully embraces and explores that potential. Mr. Scheer’s tight libretto wastes no time on self- indulgence. The conclusion is neither a downer nor a conventional ‘his work lives on’ apotheosis, but the culmination of Jean-Do’s difficult journey toward acceptance and the joy in what he’s had. The other characters sing lines from his book: ‘A butterfly’s wings, beat by beat by beat, counting all the things you’ve ever loved, all the things you’ve ever imagined; and then beat by beat by beat, counting the seconds until it’s time to let go.’”
