When Giacomo Puccini received an offer from Vienna "to write an opera - yes: similar to Der Rosenkavalier, only more entertaining and more organic," he replied, "An operetta, that for me is out of the question." What the composition became is La rondine- a comic opera in 3 acts, which Puccini finished in 1916, two years after the original commission. At the premiere in Monte Carlo in 1917 the initial reception by the public and press was warm. However, despite the artistic value of the score, La rondine has been one of Puccini's less successful works. In this production, conducted by Ivan Repusic, four star sopranos are featured: Elena Mosuc, Evelin Novak, Siobhan Stagg, and Elbenita Kajtazi.