See the pretty girl in that mirror there
On this day in 1962 soprano Regine Crespin made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marschallin.
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L’Aube rouge
Guillaume Tornaire conducts Andreea Soare, Andrew Morstein, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Ava Dodd, Hannah O’Brien, Emma Jüngling, and Dominica Williams in Camille Erlanger‘s 1911 opera from this year’s Wexford Festival
È vin di Spagna
On this day in 1974 tenor Jose Carreras made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Cavardossi
Unchanged for good
No show should last 20 years.
The Greek Passion
On this day in 1968 the Kander-Ebb musical Zorba opened on Broadway
Florencia en el Amazonas
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Ailyn Pérez, Gabriella Reyes, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Mario Chang, Michael Chioldi, Mattia Olivieri, and Greer Grimsley in the Met premiere of Daniel Catán and Marcela Fuentes-Berain‘s opera.
Prick and choose
Heartbeat Opera knows how to party.
A sad sort of clanging
On this day in 1926 the US Premiere and first Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini‘s Turandot
To forgive, divine
Leos Janacek’s 1904 opera Jenufa could be a rather grim affair.
Everything’s waiting for you
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut and her first appearance in opera as Leonora
Not since Nineveh
Franz Liszt attempted practically every musical genre in vogue in the nineteenth century, although it is undeniable that a handful of the genres he only sampled (like string quartet) or adapted to his own temperament in original ways (like the symphony).
Ein Geburtstag bricht an!
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek
Ashes to ashes
Gioachino Rossini’s adorable adaptation of Cinderella famously dispenses with a slipper in favor of a bracelet to lead the Principe Ramiro back to his Cenerentola. If only this performance had benefitted from such a glittering guiding hand.
By the goona goona goona lagoon
On this day in 1937 the National Broadcasting Company formed a full-sized symphony orchestra
Popp culture
Born on this day in 1939 soprano Lucia Popp
Le nozze di Figaro
Raphaël Pichon conducts Andrè Schuen, Adriana González, Sabine Devieilhe, Krzysztof B?czyk, and Lea Desandre in a performance recorded at this year’s Salzburg Festival.
Moonstruck
On this day in 1993 Dvorak’s Rusalka finally appears at the Met.
Before we croak
Aristophanes’ The Frogs is a comedy with a lump in its throat – laughter coming from tears.
Scholarly pursuits
“What would you do if the world you knew was suddenly gone and you were thrown into the deepest abyss stripped of all humanity? Would you fight to remember who you were?”
Ewing and ahhing
On this day in 1994 Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk finally bows at the Met.
X rated
Let’s not forget that it’s only been two years since the Met mounted its first-ever opera by a Black composer.
Step and repeat
Three important daughter-stepmother pairs
Bass desires
Happy 64th birthday baritone Thomas Quasthoff
Un ballo in maschera
Carlo Rizzi conducts Angela Meade, Liv Redpath, Olesya Petrova, Charles Castronovo, and Quinn Kelsey in a broadcast from New York