By George Loomis [International Herald Tribune, 24 October 2006]

FRANKFURT In an interview, the composer Detlev Glanert said he was drawn to Albert Camus's play "Caligula" because, rather than having characters who interact with one another, it centers on a single character who dominates the others. That's putting it mildly, but another, more down-to- earth answer might be that the play is crammed with violence, an ingredient long cherished by opera composers.