Then, the musical references to classics like the final trio of "Der Rosenkavalier, " to signal renunciation of youth and love (there's even a nonsinging character called Sophie), and the orchestral passage after Tosca murders Scarpia, festooning the corpse with candles and a cross (here, the diva burns her photographs and then snuffs all the candles in her apartment).
WSJ: Prima Donna | La Traviata | New York City Opera Makes a Case for Its Own Demise | Opera Review by Heidi Waleson