Adriana Lecouvreur is an account in music of the circumstances that led to the suspected murder of a star of the Comédie-Française. Verismo prides itself on its realism, but rarely are its operas based on a true story. Francesco Cilea’s most popular work took its inspiration from the well-documented career and death of Adrienne Lecouvreur, a celebrated actress of the early eighteenth century. Her performances were a revelation. She brought a realism to the parts she played that had rarely been seen before her.