The Scarlet Letter (Damrosch opera)

The Scarlet Letter is an opera in four acts by Walter Damrosch, with a libretto by George Parsons Lathrop, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name. It premiered at the Boston Theatre on February 22, 1896. The opera tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman in 17th-century Puritan Boston who is publicly shamed for committing adultery and forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her chest. The opera follows Hester's struggles with shame, social ostracism, and ultimately, redemption. Critical reception at the time was mixed, some praising Damrosch's ambitious score and Lathrop's adaptation of the novel, while others found the opera lacking in dramatic intensity. The opera has not been frequently performed since its premiere, though excerpts are occasionally performed.