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 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.
On this day in 1973 baritone Ingvar Wixell made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Rigoletto.
On this day in 1916 Granados’ Goyescas premiered at the Met.
On this day in 1961 Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli made their historic Metropolitan Opera debuts in Verdi’s Il trovatore.
On this day Dialogues des Carmélites had its world premiere at La Scala.
On this day in 1955 Rudolf Kempe made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tannhäuser.
The Richard Strauss / Hugo von Hofmannsthal music drama Elektra premiered on this day in 1909 at the Semperoper, Dresden.
On this day in 1958 soprano Inge Borkh made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Salome.
Born on this day in 1897 ‘vocal miracle’ Rosa Ponselle.
Happy 35th birthday to Supertitles!
On this day in 1967 Colin Davis made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Peter Grimes, with Jon Vickers, Lucine Amara and Geraint Evans in the cast.
On this day in 1984 bass Samuel Ramey, conductor Mario Bernardi and director Frank Corsaro made their Metropolitan Opera debuts in Handel’s Rinaldo.
On this day in 1907 the Metropolian Opera premiered Puccini’s Manon Lescaut with the composer in attendance.
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.
