On Christmas Eve 1914, soldiers on Europe’s Western front laid down arms and joined their enemies in celebrating the holiday by trading songs and drink while dead comrades littered the surrounding fields. In this premiere broadcast of a Pulitzer-winning opera, composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell have resisted the temptation to sentimentalize the episode. Tenor William Burden plays the soldier whose impromptu singing inspired the truce. Still, don’t expect traditional carols from any of the players in this stirring work. Friday, Dec. 13, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
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