While Ms. Yoncheva didn’t dwell on that not-quite-syllable at the end of "silence," she used it – to create a brief aura of melancholy, a puff of dark cloud.
"Mr. Py goes to great lengths to avoid having Alceste and Admète even look at each other, so that all their discussions of life and death matters might as well be directed to an empty wall — and indeed they often are."
"The story of the enlightened Roman emperor so merciful that he forgives everyone for everything—from the maiden who refuses his imperial offer of marriage to the friend who not only betrays but also tries to murder him—is so improbable that it's nearly a fairy tale."
