[1] The original idea for the story was conceived by Piazzolla's lover at the time of its composition, Egle Martin, who was married to Eduardo "Lalo" Palacios.
[1] For some years, María de Buenos Aires was seldom staged, though increasingly there have been modern productions, some in concert form and often incorporating dance.
In 2004, John Abulafia created a fully staged dance-theatre production of Maria de Buenos Aires, set close to the time it was composed - Argentina's 'Dirty War'.
Theater de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2005),[4] the Teatro Nacional de São João (Porto) and the Opera São Carlos (Lisbon) in Portugal (2006, 2007, toured Norway in 2007), the Gotham Chamber Opera at Skirball Center, in New York City (2008), Canberra, Australia (National Multicultural Festival, 2008) and the very successful Teatro di Capua production[5] (2008) which has been produced in several theatres including the Hermitage Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia, Moscow (where it received two nominations in the Moscow Festival of the Golden Mask in 2009), and the 2010 Edinburgh Festival.
A new fully staged production by Australian dance company Leigh Warren and Dancers and the State Opera of South Australia opened in Adelaide on 15 October 2010 [6] and performed at the Brisbane Festival in September 2011.
The Cincinnati Opera staged the piece on 25 and 27 July 2012 with soprano Catalina Cuervo, baritone Luis Alejandro Orozco, and Jairo Cuesta as El Payador.
The director was Jose Maria Condemi, and Tony Award winning dancers Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo, as well as bandoneón player Ben Bogart performed.
[12] [13] The Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra presented María between 1 and 3 February 2013 with New York-based Argentinean mezzo-soprano Solange Merdinian and baritone Luis Orozco.
[12] In March 2013, Opera Hispanica presented it at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, Argentinean mezzo-soprano Solange Merdinian as Maria and Uruguayan Baritone Marcelo Guzzo, Jorge Parodi conducted the production.
Spanish conductor Ramon Tebar led the production that was directed by Antonio Salatino and choreographed by Argentinian tango dancer Pablo Repun.
In 2019 Dayen starred and directed a site specific production of the work for Bare Opera in New York City, conducted by David Rosenmeyer and choreographed by Troy Ogilvie using interactive projections created by Sangmin Chae.
[15] The Atlanta Opera created an immersive new production in February 2017, directed by Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun and starring Catalina Cuervo and Luis Orozco.
In the following year, the same production led by Zvulun and starring Cuervo and Orozco opened the New York City Opera season, in an immersive performance at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC.
The cast features the company's 2017-18 Artists in Residence: Evelyn Saavedra, Camille Sherman, Eric Dean Wassenaar, and Brent Hetherington.
[19] To this date, Colombian opera singer Catalina Cuervo holds the distinction of having participated in the most performances of "María de Buenos Aires."
She has returned to virginity, is impregnated by the word of the goblin poet, and—witnessed by three Construction Workers (Magi) and The Women Who Knead Pasta—gives birth to a Child María, who may be herself.