Slaughter on Madison Avenue
On this day in 1906, architect Stanford White was shot dead atop Madison Square Garden by Harry Thaw, jealous husband of Evelyn Nesbit, White’s former mistress.
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Knowledge was naught
On this day in 1374 a sudden outbreak of St. John’s Dance causeed people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapsed from exhaustion.
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).
Qwerty
On this day in 1868 Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention he called the “Type-Writer.”
Warhorse
Three blocks from the opera house is a terrible time to realize there was homework.
A tree grows in Göteborg
When John Adams’ A Flowering Tree had its world premiere in Vienna in 2006, critical reaction from the Austrian and German press was mixed-to-negative.
Skin deep
n this day in 1985 Dallas actress Victoria Principal (“35”) wedded plastic surgeon Harry Glassman (43).
Flight
On this day in 1791, the fleeing French King Louis XVI and his family were captured at Varennes-en-Argonne.
Yours for the axing
On this day in 1893 Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
People come, people go; nothing ever happens
On this day in 1825 Gioacchino Rossini‘s Il viaggio a Reims premiered.
Just shoot me!
On this day in 1821 Der_Freischütz premiered at the Schauspielhaus Berlin.
Triskaidekaphilia
Your task: name the Ortruds, all unlucky 13 of them.
Peace in our time
On this day in 1971 President Richard Nixon declared the “War on Drugs.”
Married to the mobcap
I have an idea (soon to be angrily debunked in the comments section) that Le nozze di Figaro is rarely a source of unalloyed bliss to the chronic operagoer.
Like no business I know
On this day in 1946 Annie Get Your Gun opened at the Imperial Theater, to run 1,147 performances.
About a boy
So what’s up with Nina Stemme’s Stimme?
It was a very good year
On this day in 1844 Goodyear patented the vulcanization of rubber.
Breaking news
On this day in 1800 the French Army of Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo in Northern Italy.
Ronald Wilford 1927-2015
The “manager of legendary maestros” including James Levine, died today in Manhattan. He was 87. [New York Times]
Locust bean gum
On this day in 1789 Elizabeth “Betsy” Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, served ice cream to George Washington at the White House.
Mixed messages
For instance, the mule is more intelligent and more patient than its parents the horse and the donkey.
Beginnen met het verspreiden van het nieuws: Ik vertrek vandaag
On this day in 1665, England installed a municipal government in New York City, the former Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.
Al fresco
Poor Paisiello. Out of the nearly 100 operas written by this industrious composer just one was generally regarded as a masterpiece.
Herrn Tristan bringe meinen Gruss
Our dear friends over at Opera Depot are slashing prices in half on all their recordings of Tristan und Isolde in honor of the music drama’s 150th anniversary.