Antony and Cleopatra was first performed at the formal opening of the new Metropolitan Opera House on 16 September 1966. The evening has gone down in history as one of the great operatic fiascos, although Barber's score has been described as 'an innocent victim' of the occasion, overwhelmed by a technically over-complex production by Franco Zeffirelli. Nevertheless, the failure of the work was to have an enduring impact on Barber's creative confidence.