Born on this day in 1923.
On this day no skies are gray on that great white way.
On this day in 1962 conductor Ernest Ansermet made his in-house Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Pelléas et Mélisande.
On this day in 1948 Verdi’s Otello was the first opera to be telecast from the Met.
Born on this day in 1904 soprano Helen Jepson.
On this day in 1843 Michael Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl premiered in London.
On this day in 1961 soprano Joan Sutherland made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor.
On this day in 1959, the musical Once Upon a Mattress transferred uptown to Broadway.
On this day in 1938, two Met debuts in La bohème: tenor Jussi Bjoerling and soprano Mafalda Favero.
On this day in 1903 tenor Enrico Caruso made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Duke of Mantua.
Happy Thanksgiving USA Parterrians!
On this day in 1967 Herbert von Karajan first appeared at the Metropolitan Opera conducting and directing Die Walküre.
On this day in 1907 bass Fyodor Chaliapin made his Met debut in Boito’s Mefistofele.
On this day in 1962 soprano Régine Crespin made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marschallin.
On this day in 1974 tenor Jose Carreras made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Cavardossi.
On this day in 1975 soprano Roberta Peters celebrated the 25th anniversary of her Met debut with a performance of Così fan tute.
On this day in 1926 the US premiere and first Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini’s Turandot.
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle gave her first opera performance anywhere.
On this day in 1937 the National Broadcasting Company formed a full-sized symphony orchestra.
Born on this day in 1939 soprano Lucia Popp.
On this day in 1993 Dvorak’s Rusalka finally appeared at the Met. Gabriela Benacková does the honors.
On this day in 1970 the Richard Rodgers–Martin Charnin musical Two by Two (with Danny Kaye as Noah) opened at the Imperial Theatre, to run 351 performances.
Happy 53rd birthday bass-baritone Bryn Terfel.
On this day in 1965 bass Nicolai Ghaiurov made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Méphistophélès.
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.
