On this day in 1977 Alban Berg‘s Lulu premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in the as-yet incomplete two act version.
On this day in 1951 soprano Victoria de los Angeles made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marguerite in Faust.
Happy birthday to a brace of perennial divas: Christa Ludwig (pictured), age 90, and Teresa Berganza, age 83!
Two very different Broadway musical dramas opened on this date: Menotti’s The Consul in 1950 and Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady in 1956.
On this day in 1847 Verdi’s Macbeth premiered at the Teatro della Pergola in Firenze.
On this day in 1997 Robert Carsen made his Met debut with a new production of Eugene Onegin.
On this day in 1979 soprano Marisa Galvany made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Norma, replacing Shirley Verrett with only four hours notice.
On this day in 1985 Giuseppe Sinopoli made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tosca.
Born on this day in 1892 soprano Dame Eva Turner.
On this day in 1987 tenor Jerry Hadley made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Des Grieux in Manon
On this day in 1964 the Metropolitan Opera presented the debuts of Leonard Bernstein, Franco Zeffirelli and Franco Zeffirelli in a new production of Verdi’s Falstaff.
On this day in 1959 Alban Berg’s Wozzeck had its Metropolitan Opera premiere (in English translation.)
On this day in 1952, Kirsten Flagstad sang the title role in a new production of Gluck’s Alceste at the Metropolitan Opera.
On this day in 1970 mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Adalgisa.
Born on this day in 1900 composer Kurt Weill.
Happy 93rd birthday soprano Lucine Amara.
On this day in 1910 prima ballerina Anna Pavlova made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Coppélia (on a double bill with Werther!)
Happy 83rd birthday soprano Mirella Freni.
Born on this day in 1802 author and playwright Victor Hugo.
On this day in 1948 tenor Giuseppe di Stefano made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Duke of Mantua.
Happy 84th birthday to the diva of divas, Renata Scotto!
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
Born on this day in 1930 soprano Marni Nixon.
On this day in 1957, Renata Tebaldi sang the title role in a new production of La traviata at the Met, directed by Tyrone Guthrie.
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.
