The story of Lili Elbe, the transgender Danish painter who lived 1882-1931 has been recently told by the acclaimed film, the Danish Girl, starring Eddie Redmayne in 2015. Tobias Picker, the American composer has made an opera of her story, and cast American transgender Baritone Lucia Lucas in the principal role. It is a remarkable piece, musically very approachable. Commissioned by Konzert und Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland, it is the story of "a love overcoming all obstacles", focusing as it does on Lili's relationship with her wife, Gerda Wegener (1886-1940). Regularly cross dressing after being used as a stand-in by her artist wife for a portrait of an actress, Elbe was an early example of sex change surgery, but died after rejection on an implanted uterus following her fourth operation. The opera dwells on the romantic entanglements between Lili, her wife, and various suitors, including her fiance at the time of her death, French art dealer Claude Lejeune. Fairly simple staging but highly effective. I wasn't totally sure about the attempt to paint Lili's doctor at the Dresden Municipal Women's Clinic, Professor Kurt Warnekros, as rather manipulative and controlling, but all romantic operas must I suppose have a villain. Lili and Gerda were prominent members of bohemian artistic society in Paris from 1912, and she lived openly as a woman posing when needed as Gerda's sister in law - the opera includes scenes from parties and exhibitions during Paris. A Danish court annulled the couple's marriage in October 1930 and Elbe was able to have her sex and name legally changed - this was depicted in the opera as the personal decision of the Danish King (who gets a walk on part!). Enjoyable and an excellent example of opera tackling a modern subject. Shout out to Lucia Lucas who gave an excellent performance - clearly with much personal investment in the story and background.