Naught can efface you
Born on this day in 1913 mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens.
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Miss Show Business
Born on this day in 1922 entertainer Judy Garland.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
Desperate housewife
As New Yorkers swelter in the Fahrenheit 90s. Trove Thursday escapes to wintry Vienna 1920s for Richard Strauss’s Intermezzo (in English) sumptuously conducted by Julius Rudel and starring the incomparable Elisabeth Söderström as the delicious, exasperating wife of Alan Titus.
Deep in the heart of me
Born on this day in 1891 composer Cole Porter.
And now someone else is getting all your best
Happy 81st birthday to songstress Nancy Sinatra.
Rigoletto
Starring Diana Damrau, Oksana Volkova, Piotr Beczala, Zeljko Lucic, and Stefan Kocan, conducted by Michele Mariotti. Production by Michael Mayer. From February 16, 2013.
You couldn’t buy this kind of publicity
Born on this day in 1924 actress and singer Dolores Gray.
The Queen of Technicolor
Born on this day in 1912, actress Maria Montez.
Macbeth
Starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Zeljko Lucic, and René Pape, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by Adrian Noble. From October 11, 2014.
Billy Budd
Performance from March 8, 1997.
Steuart Bedford; Philip Langridge (Captain Vere), Dwayne Croft (Billy Budd), James Morris (Claggart), Victor Braun (Mr. Redburn), Julien Robbins (Lt. Ratcliffe), James Courtney (Mr. Flint), Paul Plishka (Dansker)
Maid about you
Happy 56th birthday soprano Sandrine Piau.
Porgy and Bess
Starring Angel Blue, Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore, Denyce Graves, Frederick Ballentine, Eric Owens, Alfred Walker, and Donovan Singletary, conducted by David Robertson. Production by James Robinson. From February 1, 2020.
“Did you get her innuendo?”
Born on this day in 1907 actress Rosalind Russell.
La Fille du Régiment
Starring Pretty Yende, Stephanie Blythe, Kathleen Turner, Javier Camarena, and Maurizio Muraro, conducted by Enrique Mazzola. Production by Laurent Pelly. From March 2, 2019.
I have a song to sing, O!
The lovely English soprano Valerie Masterson turns 84 today, prompting Trove Thursday to present her in a pair of her specialties.
“Maybe my style is eccentric”
Born on this day in 1913 journalist and panelist Dorothy Kilgallen.
Carmen
Starring Aleksandra Kurzak, Clémentine Margaine, Roberto Alagna, and Alexander Vinogradov, conducted by Louis Langrée. Production by Sir Richard Eyre. From February 2, 2019.
All about that Wagner
In May, everyone wanted to hear those Wagnerians, shown here singing Strauss.
Because it’s June
On this day in 1969 Renata Tebaldi and Franco Corelli opened the Met’s June Festival in Tosca.
Samson et Dalila
Starring Elina Garanca, Roberto Alagna, Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. Production by Darko Tresnjak. From October 20, 2018.
Specialization
Born on this day in 1926 Marilyn Monroe.
Turandot
Starring Christine Goerke, Eleonora Buratto, Yusif Eyvazov and James Morris, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 12, 2019.
“Toujours la voix de tête”
Born on this day in 1879 (or, if you ask her, 1883) soprano Frances Alda.