On this day in 1977 soprano Ileana Cotrubas made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.

Ray Ericson in The New York Times:

Miss Cotrubas’s performance as Mimi indicated why there has been such favorable advance notice about her. The Rumanian?born and trained soprano has a special quality, compounded of several factors. She is slim and dark, with a long oval tace whose features are haunting, rather than pretty. They give her a vulnerable, pathetic look. She has a poise that suggests a stillness within her, giving depth to her acting. While somewhat light for Mimi, the voice is fresh and clear, soaring easily into the upper reaches. As the evening went on, the voice took on a small vibrato, adding warmth to the tone. Complete this list of attributes with sensitive and musical phrasing, and you have an unusually fine artist.

Her Mimi in this debut was touching, rather than overwhelming. There was an element of coolness and reserve in her, a slight want of color and intensity in the singing itself, which may come later in her career. There is no doubt that she is a rare personality.

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