Carlo Menotti

The Telephone

The Telephone' is a one-act 20-minute opera buffa for two singers. The story is that Lucy spends most of her time on the telephone, and when Ben, her boyfriend, visits her intending to propose, the telephone keeps ringing, interrupting Ben every time he is about to pop the question. Eventually, the audience and Ben realize that the telephone is not only Lucy's means of remaining connected to the world but also a defense mechanism. Ben decides to penetrate this shield by leaving the apartment and using a pay phone to get through to her. Once Ben has Lucy's undivided attention, he asks her to marry him and she agrees.

This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with a French translation by Leon Kochnitzky.