On this day in 1908 composer conductor Gustav Mahler made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera conducting Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.

Birthday anniversaries of librettist Ludovic Halévy (1834), writer John Luther Long (1861), librettist E M Forster (1879), conductor Artur Rodzinksi (1892), soprano Marta Fuchs (1898), conductor Giuseppe Patane (1932) and bass Laszlo Polgar (1947).

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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