Happy 82nd birthday mezzo-soprano Yvonne Minton.
On this day in 1993 Angela Gheorghiu made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.

Alex Ross in The New York Times:

Angela Gheorghiu, a Romanian soprano who has sung at Covent Garden and the Vienna State Opera, is the new Mimi. On Thursday night, her voice showed admirable qualities: lustrous dark tone, steady attacks in all registers, inoffensive vibrato and a spectacular dynamic control allowing her to move effortlessly from clarion fortissimos to silken pianissimos. Unfortunately, this was all; one waited in vain for a strong expressive or dramatic dimension. At times, she simply practiced a highbrow form of crooning. Still, the preternatural beauty of the voice made a lingering impression.

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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.

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