On this day in 1937 mezzo soprano Jennie Tourel made her Met debut as Thomas‘s Mignon. Here singing another composer’s interpretation of Goethe‘s character:
Birthday anniversary of composer Michael William Balfe (1808),
librettist Georges Hartmann aka Henri Gremont (1843),
baritone Walter Cassel (1910),
and bass Ulrik Cold (1939)
On this day in 1889 Massenet‘s Esclarmonde premiered in Paris
On this day in 1914 Rabaud‘s opera Marouf premiered at the Opéra Comique
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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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.
Ahead of a special boozy, bawdy Valentine’s Day concert, artistic director of Opera Lafayette Patrick Quigley speaks with soprano Maya Kherani about her journey from MIT to rising American Baroque star.
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
