By La Cieca 
On this night in 1951 Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors premiered on television.
Born on this day in 1824 composer Peter Cornelius (with music for the holiday).Born on this day poet George Crabbe (1754), dramatist and librettist Eugène Scribe (1791), sopranos Lucrezia Bori (1887) and Teresa Stich-Randall (1927), dancer and choreographer Robert Joffrey (1930) and baritone Richard Cowan (1957).Born on this day in 1922 actress (and occasional singer) Ava Gardner.
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
