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 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
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Born on this day in 1930 soprano Marni Nixon.
On this day in 1957, Renata Tebaldi sang the title role in a new production of La traviata at the Met, directed by Tyrone Guthrie.
On this day in 1724 Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto premiered in London.
On this day in 1967 the Marc Chagall production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte was unveiled at the Met. Soprano Lucia Popp made her Met debut as the Queen of the Night.
Happy 85th birthday soprano Elly Ameling.
On this day in 1904 Puccini’s Madama Butterfly had its disastrous premiere in Milan.
On this day in 1966, the Metropolitan Opera debut of tenor Alfredo Kraus as the Duke of Mantua.
Happy 71st birthday composer John Adams.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Ash Wednesday! And happy 59th birthday soprano Renée Fleming!
Happy 49th birthday mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
Happy 95th birthday director and designer Franco Zeffirelli.
On this day in 1966 soprano Pilar Lorengar made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Donna Elvira.
On this day in 1974 soprano Kiri Te Kanawa made an “emergency” Met debut and broadcast debut as Desdemona.
On this day in 1996 mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli made her Metropolitan Opera stage debut as Despina.
On this day in 1928 soprano Grace Moore made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.
On this day in 1968 mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris.
On this day in 1959 soprano Leonie Rysanek made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Lady Macbeth.
On this day in 2006 tenor Jonas Kaufmann made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Alfredo.
Born on this day in 1887 writer and librettist Gertrude Stein.
Happy 81st birthday soprano Martina Arroyo!
On this day in 1896, the premiere in Turin of Puccini’s La bohème; on this day in 1922, the birth of one of this work’s greatest interpreters, Renata Tebaldi.
On this day in 1974 Verdi”s I vespri siciliani was first staged at the Metropolitan Opera.
On this day in 1957 soprano Martha Mödl made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Siegfried Brunnhilde.
