By Heidi Waleson [WSJ, 11 November 2010]

New York City Opera's fall-season exploration of modern-family dysfunction continues with Strauss's autobiographical "Intermezzo" (1924), a revival of City Opera's 1999 Leon Major production, starring soprano Mary Dunleavy as the wacky wife. Billed as "a domestic comedy with symphonic interludes," "Intermezzo" is a risky repertoire choice: It's not a toe-tapper, and it requires great orchestral playing.