Janet Baker should have made it to the Met Janet Baker should have made it to the Met

The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.

Dorothy Maynor should have made it to the Met Dorothy Maynor should have made it to the Met

We had to wait for Marian Anderson to break the color barrier at the Met and many great Black opera singers never had a chance there.

Leyla Gencer should have made it to the Met Leyla Gencer should have made it to the Met

Leyla Gencer had a long European career but never sang at the Met.

Hina Spani should have made it to the Met Hina Spani should have made it to the Met

A full century after her heyday, Argentine soprano Hina Spani still moves us thanks to her vivid recordings and the savants who have cherished and shared them.

Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met

The one who got away was Anna Caterina Antonacci, a thrilling performer.

Lina Bruna Rasa should have made it to the Met Lina Bruna Rasa should have made it to the Met

In the case of Lina Bruna Rasa, the reasons why she never sang at the Met are painfully clear.

Conchita Supervia should have made it to the Met Conchita Supervia should have made it to the Met

For vibrato fanciers, of course, discovering Supervia is like hitting the mother lode.

Gertrud Grob-Prandl should have made it to the Met Gertrud Grob-Prandl should have made it to the Met

Yes, the Met had Birgit Nilsson – so they let the volcano that was Gertrude Grob-Prandl‘s voice slip through their fingers.

Eglise Gutierrez should have made it to the Met Eglise Gutierrez should have made it to the Met

So much color in this beautifully agile voice.

Mado Robin should have made it to the Met Mado Robin should have made it to the Met

I like to use this recording to annoy Mariah Carey fans by proving that whistle register doesn’t count.

Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met

I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.

Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met

The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.

Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met

From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.

Denise Duval should have made it to the Met Denise Duval should have made it to the Met

I decided I’d take ‘never made it to the Met’ as an excuse to submit a post about why French soprano Denise Duval (1921-2015) is special to me.