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 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut and her first appearance in opera as Leonora
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Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek
On this day in 1937 the National Broadcasting Company formed a full-sized symphony orchestra
Born on this day in 1939 soprano Lucia Popp
On this day in 1993 Dvorak’s Rusalka finally appears at the Met.
On this day in 1994 Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk finally bows at the Met.
Happy 64th birthday baritone Thomas Quasthoff
On this day in 1965 bass Nicolai Ghiaurov made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Méphistophélès
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Joan Sutherland
On this day in 1928 the American Premiere of Richard Strauss‘ Die ägyptische Helena at the Met.
On this day in 1883 the Metropolitan Opera presented its very first traviata.
In 1961 soprano Phyllis Curtin makes her Metropolitan Opera debut as Fiordiligi
On this night in 1924 Tullio Serafin made his Met debut conducting Elisabeth Rethberg and Giovanni Martinelli in Aida.
On this day in 2005 mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato made her Met debut as Cherubino
Born on this day in 1923 soprano Victoria de los Angeles
On this day in 1944 the Aaron Copland/Martha Graham ballet Appalachian Spring had its premiere in Washington DC.
On this day in 1956 La Divina made her Met debut as Norma
On this day in 1961 tenor Sandor Konya made his Met debut as Lohengrin. Ingrid Bjoner debuts as Elsa.
On this day in 1958 Met opening night Tosca with Tebaldi, del Monaco and George London. (from two years earlier. . . )
On this day in 1959 mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Azucena
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Galina Vishnevskaya
Happy 68th birthday soprano Cheryl Studer
Born on this day in 1923 composer Ned Rorem
