Flopéra comique

On this day in 1875 Bizet’s Carmen had its disastrous premiere at the Opéra Comique in Paris.

March 3, 2020

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzsbN1BXvao

On this day in 1970 mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne made her distinctly non-disastrous Metropolitan Opera debut as Adalgisa.

Winthrop Sargeant in The New Yorker:

The Adalgisa of the evening was Marilyn Horne, who was making her Metropolitan début. It was high time this début occurred, for anybody who has been around singers knows that Miss Horne is, and has been for some years, one of the world’s most spectacular mezzo-sopranos. From time to time, with her younger and more expressive voice, she even stole the show from Miss Sutherland, and their duets, which they had sung together many times before in other opera houses, were beautifully coördinated – particularly the finest of them, “Mira, O Norma.”

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrY66tzzveY

Happy 82nd birthday soprano Rachel Yakar.

Happy 76th birthday mezzo-soprano Florence Quivar.

Happy 71st birthday soprano Roberta Alexander.

Happy 55th birthday soprano Christine Schäfer.

WindyCityOperaman

Dan Soda (Windy City Operaman) is a Chicago native whose first visit to opera was at age 17 and Massenet’s Werther with Troyanos and Kraus. Nothing was ever the same. Opera and concert performances, recordings and video are an obsession. He prepares Parterre Box’s daily birthday and anniversary tributes. He also enjoys concerts, live theater and movies.