The Staatsoper woke up 333,000 Euros richer this morning.

Apparently, a defunct private club called Pro Opera, discontinued in 1988, was found to have left substantial assets. Since the club existed to support opera in Vienna, the money goes – ching! – straight into Staatsoper coffers.

We regret to report the death on Sunday of the prolific and popular composer, Stephen Paulus.

Stephen suffered a massive stroke in July 2013 and spent the last months of his life in a care home. He was 65.

A Minnesotan for almost all his life, he wrote 10 operas, 60 orchestral scores and more than 150 works for chorus, many of them widely performed. He is probably best known outside the US for the 1982 opera, The Postman Always Rings Twice.

He was co-founder of the American Composers Forum and a generous mentor to many younger colleagues.