Quaintance Eaton in Musical America:

Max Lorenz appeared as Tristan for the first time this season in the third hearing of Wagner’s opera. As in last year’s performances, the tenor displayed his accomplished schooling in the tradition of the part, and he sang even better, in some instances, than previously. Though his voice has little velvet remaining, and though he resorted to occasional shouting and even sobbing, he invested the second act love duet with enough tone and with considerable expressiveness; and he rose to communicative heights in several passages in the third act. His death scene was nobly and simply done, even if his appearance was not conducive to illusion. This fault was partly due to the absence of the beard which lent impressiveness to his Tristan last year.

Born on this day in 1412 martyr and saint Jeanne d’Arc. How many theatrical, cinematic, operatic interpretations of her life? I’ll start:

Birthday anniversaries of composer Max Bruch (1838), bass André Pernet (1894), conductor Maurice Abravanel and soprano Mafalda Favero (1903) and baritones Francesco Valentino (1907) and David Ohanesian (1927).

Happy 83rd birthday mezzo-soprano Shirley Love.

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