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.
Born on this day in 1863 composer Pietro Mascagni
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
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.
On this day in 1846 Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust premiered in Paris
Happy 64th birthday composer Osvaldo Golijov
Happy 86th birthday mezzo-soprano Yvonne Minton
Broadway premieres on this day:
Born 101 years ago.
World AIDS Day 2024
An announcement from Windy City Operaman
On this day in 1948 Verdi‘s Otello was the first opera to be telecast from the Metropolitan Opera.
Happy Thanksgiving, US Parterrians!
On this day in 1843 Michael Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl premiered in London
Happy 83rd birthday mezzo-soprano Susanne Marsee
Happy 74th birthday soprano Yvonne Kenny
On this day in 1938 tenor Jussi Bjoerling made his Met debut as Rodolfo.
On this day in 1903 tenor Enrico Caruso made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Duke of Mantua
Born on this day in 1913 composer Benjamin Britten
On this day in 1967 conductor Herbert von Karajan bows at the Metropolitan Opera in Walküre.
On this day in 1808 Beethoven‘s Fidelio premiered in Vienna
Happy 80th birthday mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa
On this day in 1974 tenor Jose Carreras made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Cavardossi
On this day in 1839 Verdi‘s Oberto premiered in Milan
On this day in 1926 the US Premiere and first Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini‘s Turandot.
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut, and her first appearance in opera, as Leonora
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek
