On this day in 1974 soprano Kiri Te Kanawa made an “emergency” Met debut and broadcast debut as Desdemona. 

Allen Hughes in The New York Times:

Her company debut in the part had been planned for March 7, but on Saturday morning Teresa Stratas, who had been scheduled to appear in this season’s first performance of Otello, reported that she was not feeling well enough to sing, and Miss Te Kanawa had to replace her.

Miss Te Kanawa won the audience from the very beginning, and did not lose it. Her voice had a lovely fresh sound, her vocal production was smooth, her singing was eloquent and her acting was touching and invariably believable. She is slim and attractive, and the impression she made as Desdemona was satisfying in every way.

The soprano of Maori descent began her big-time opera career a scant three years ago at London’s Covent Garden opera house. Since then she has appeared with the San Francisco and Santa Fe opera companies here and has sung Desdemona with the Scottish Opera and in Berlin. She should prove to be a most welcome addition to the Metropolitan roster, and it will be interesting to see and hear her in other roles.