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.
On this day in 1985 baritone Giuseppe Taddei made his belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Falstaff. Read more »
Baritone day! Born on this day Ettore Bastianini (pictured) and Cornell MacNeil (both in 1922) and Pablo Elvira (in 1938). Read more »
Ne Quittez Pas, director James Darrah’s new site-specific reimagining of Poulenc’s 1958 monodrama La voix humaine, adds a cabaret-style prologue of Poulenc art songs on texts by Guillaume Apollinaire and others, as well as additional poetry by both Apollinaire and Cocteau, expanding the one-act monologue to an evening-length presentation. Starring as La voix humaine’s sole character is Grammy-winning powerhouse soprano Patricia Racette, with the prologue sung by Edward Nelson, praised by Bachtrack for a “ringing baritone” that is “a thrill to listen to.” The production is led by music director and pianist Christopher Allen, winner of the 2017 Sir George Solti Conducting Award. Read more »
Born on this day in 1907 soprano Jarmila Novotná. Read more »
On this day in 1968 mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Carmen.
On this day in 1971 Sir Rudolf Bing opened his final season at the Met with a revival of Don Carlo.
On this day in 1971 the Met revived Norma with its surefire team of Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne.
Cher Public