It was first performed in Venice on September 11, 1951, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf singing the part of Anne Trulove. In 1957, it was a part of the first season of the Santa Fe Opera. The composer himself came to the rehearsals. There was an excellent production in 1975 at Glyndebourne Festival Opera which was designed by David Hockney. This production has been revived at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in July 2008.