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 1953 a revival of Porgy and Bess opened a 305-performance run at the Ziegfeld Theatre.
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Born on this day in composer Samuel Barber (1910) and conductor Thomas Schippers (1930).
On this day in 1976 mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Octavian.
Happy 88th birthday soprano Mady Mesplé!
Happy 75th birthday soprano Kiri Te Kanawa.
Sixty years ago today, Berg’s Wozzeck was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera.
On this day in 1830 Vincenzo Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi premiered in Venice.
On this day in 1970 mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Adalgisa.
Birthday anniversaries of composers Kurt Weill (1900) and Marc Blitzstein (1905).
On this day in 1913, the Met revived Manon with Geraldine Farrar and Enrico Caruso, Arturo Toscanini conducting.
On this day in 1862 Gounod’s La Reine de Saba premiered in Paris.
Happy 84th birthday soprano Mirella Freni.
Born on this day in 1802 author and playwright Victor Hugo.
On this day in 1948 tenor Giuseppe di Stefano made his Metropolitan Opera debut at the Duke of Mantua.
A joyous 85th birthday to the tutelary goddess of parterre box, Renata Scotto.
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
On this day in 1980 baritone Leo Nucci made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Renato.
Happy 66th birthday actress and songstress Christine Ebersole.
On this day in 1934 the Gertrude Stein / Virgil Thomson opera Four Saints in Three Acts opened on Broadway.
Born on this day in 1843 soprano Adelina Patti.
On this day in 1904, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly had its “disastrous” premiere at La Scala.
On this day in 1966 the Metropolitan Opera debut of tenor Alfredo Kraus as the Duke of Mantua.
On this day in 1938, Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes opened at the National Theatre to run 410 performances.
