Henry Krehbiel in the New York Tribune:

What Mme. Cavalieri failed to do for Signor Puccini’s opera it seems very likely that Señorita Bori may succeed in doing. Not because of her acting, nor even because of her appearance (for in neither of these respects did she bear comparison with her predecessor), but because of her fine vocal skill, displayed at crucial moments. In the first act she was distinctly disappointing. Mixed with the rich organ tones of Signor Caruso, her voice seemed pallid and infantile. It could not assert itself at all and the little vitality given it by the purity of its timbre was crushed out by the rude playing of the orchestra, over which the new conductor Signor Polacco, exercised insufficient restraint. But when her opportunity came in the second act, she surprised the audience, critical and uncritical alike, by the real fineness of her vocal art-by an exquisite diction, impeccable intonation and moving pathos. There it was found, too, that the quality of the voice, and its perfect emission gave it ample carrying quality, though Signor Polacco succeeded in drowning it subsequently in the duet with Caruso, who seemed purposely to have modified his own glorious tones for her sake.

On this day in 1993 Dvorak’s Rusalka finally appeared at the Met. Gabriela Benacková did the honors.

On this day in 1725 Handel’s Tamerlano premiered in London.

On this day in 1862 Verdi’s La forza del destino premiered in St Petersburg.

Birthday anniversaries: Born on this day in 1883 conductor Ernest Ansermet (1883)
and soprano Gertrude Grob-Prandl (1917).