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.
On this day in 1885, soprano Lilli Lehmann made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Carmen (in German, of course.)
On this day in 2000 soprano Nina Stemme made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Senta.
On this day in 1940 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with La Fille du Régiment, starring Lily Pons and featuring the “Casablanca” finale!
On this day in 1965 Montserrat Caballé and Sherrill Milnes made their Metropolitan Opera debuts in Faust.
On this day in 1967 Herbert von Karajan bowed at the Metropolitan Opera in a new production of Die Walküre which he directed and conducted.
On this day in 1953 the Metropolitan Opera presented a performance of Le nozze di Figaro featuring the debuts of Irmgard Seefried and Lisa Della Casa.
On this day in 1992 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor directed by Francesca Zambello (not pictured.)
On this day in 1919 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a revival of Tosca starring Geraldine Farrar, Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti.
On this day in 1953 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Gounod’s Faust.
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut and her first appearance in opera in La forza del destino.
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek.
On this day in 1951 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Aida.
On this day in 1987 mezzo-soprano Livia Budai made her Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Il trovatore… and her farewell two weeks later.
On this day in 1912 Lucrezia Bori and Enrico Caruso opened the Met season in a new production of Manon Lescaut.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge.
On this day in 1901 the Metropolitan Opera, on tour in Los Angeles, presented the inimitable Emma Calvé as Carmen.
On this day in 1898 contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Ortrud.
On this day in 1928, the Metropolitan Opera presented the American premiere of Richard Strauss‘s Die Ägyptische Helena with Maria Jeritza in the title role.
On this day in 1883 the Metropolitan Opera presented the company premiere of La traviata.
On this day in 1924, the Metropolitan Opera presented La bohème, a performance visiting critic Ernest Newman didn’t seem to like one bit.
On this day in 1989 soprano June Anderson made her Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Rigoletto.
On this day in 1931 apparently ubiquitous soprano Rosa Ponselle graced the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night performance of La traviata.
On this day in 1926 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with La vestale with Rosa Ponselle in the title role.
On this day in 1927 the Metropolitan Opera opened its 1927 season with a revival of Turandot featuring Maria Jeritza and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi.
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.
