The Ballad of Baby Doe The Ballad of Baby Doe The Ballad of Baby Doe is an opera by the American composer Douglas Moore that uses an English-language libretto by John Latouche. It is Moore's most famous opera and one of the few American operas to be in the standard repertory. Especially famous are the title heroine's five arias: "Letter Aria," "Willow Song," "I Knew it Was Wrong", "Gold is a Fine Thing", and "Always Through the Changing." Horace Tabor's "Warm as the Autumn Light" is also frequently heard. Distinguished sopranos who have portrayed Baby Doe include Beverly Sills (Moore's favorite interpreter of the role),
William Chapman (baritone) NYCO. At Spoleto he also appeared in the world premiere of Tennessee Williams's play "The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore". In March 1962 he portrayed Horace Tabor in Douglas Moore's "The Ballad of Baby Doe" opposite Beverly Sills in the title role and the Secret Police Agent in Menotti's "The Consul". In the 1964–1965 season Chapman added four new roles to his NYCO repertoire: Rangoni in Modest Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" with Norman Treigle in the title role; Jochanaan in Richard Strauss's "Salome" with Norman Kelley as Herod, Patricia Neway as Herodias, and Curtin in the title role; Boris in