Peter Ibbetson

Of the non-natural part of his story I will not say much. It is, of course, a fact that he had been absolutely and, to all appearance, incurably insane before he wrote his life. There seems to have been a difference of opinion, or rather a doubt, among the authorities of the asylum as to whether he was mad after the acute but very violent period of his brief attack had ended. Whichever may have been the case, I am at least convinced of this: that he was no romancer, and thoroughly believed in the extraordinary mental experience he has revealed. At the risk of being thought to share his madness -- if he was mad -- I will conclude by saying that I, for one, believe him to have been sane, and to have told the truth all through.

Peter Ibbetson was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on 7 February 1931 and it appeared in four seasons for a total of 22 performances (in the house and on tour) until 1935 and the retirement of the two singers who created the starring roles, Lucrezia Bori and Edward Johnson.