On this day in 1887 Verdi‘s Otello premiered in Milan
On this day in 2006 tenor Jonas Kaufmann made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Alfredo.
Born on this day in 1887 poet and expatriate Gertrude Stein
Happy 87th birthday soprano Martina Arroyo
Born on this day in 1922 soprano Renata Tebaldi
On this day in 1974 Verdi‘s I Vespri Siciliani had its first Metropolitan Opera performance.
On this day in 1957 soprano Martha Mödl made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Siegfried Brunnhilde.
On this day in 1781 the premiere of Mozart‘s Idomeneo in Munich
On this day in 1916 Granados’s Goyescas premiered at the Met
Born on this day in 1756 composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
On this day in 1955 conductor Rudolf Kempe made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tannhaüser
Born on this day in 1963 tenor Marcello Giordani
On this day in 1958 soprano Inge Borkh made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Salome (paired, of all things, with Gianni Schicchi)
On this day in 1964 the American premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Last Savage took place at the Metropolitan Opera.
Born on this day in 1897 soprano Rosa Ponselle
Happy 83rd birthday tenor/baritone/conductor Plácido Domingo
On this day in 1967 Colin Davis made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Peter Grimes
On this day in 1984 bass Samuel Ramey, conductor Mario Bernardi and director Frank Corsaro made their Metropolitan Opera debuts in Handel’s Rinaldo
On this day in 1907 the Metropolitan Opera premiered Puccini’s Manon Lescaut with the composer in attendance
On this day in 1960 tenor Jon Vickers made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Canio
Happy 90th birthday mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne
On this day in 1958 Samuel Barber‘s Vanessa had its world premiere at the Met
On this day in 1900 Puccini’s Tosca premiered in Rome
On this day in 1976 conductor Sarah Caldwell made history (and her Metropolitan debut)